ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has slammed Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for threatening to cross the Line of Control (LoC) while calling upon civilians “to be ready to support the soldiers in such a situation”.
“Pakistan condemns the provocative remarks by India’s defence minister, made on 26 July 2023, in Drass, Ladakh, boasting readiness to cross the Line of Control,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
In yet another belligerent statement earlier today, Defence Minister Singh said India is ready to cross the de factor border in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to “maintain its honour and dignity,” NDTV reported.
“We counsel India to exercise utmost caution as its belligerent rhetoric is a threat to the regional peace and stability, and contributes to destabilising the strategic environment in South Asia,” the FO statement added.
It said this is not the first time that India’s political leaders and senior military officers have made highly irresponsible remarks about Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). “This kind of jingoistic statement must stop. The Indian leadership is reminded that Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against any aggression,” it added.
The FO communique said the practice of dragging Pakistan into India’s populist public discourse, with a view to stoking hyper-nationalism and reaping electoral gains, needs to end.
Everything from history to law and from morality to the situation on the ground belies India’s claims about Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internationally-recognised disputed territory, it added.
The statement further said that relevant UN Security Council resolutions stipulate that the final disposition 51 6, territory will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. “India would be well-advised to faithfully implement these resolutions, rather than entertaining any notions of grandeur.”
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