India sowing seeds of war with Kashmir move: ISPR
Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-gen Asif Ghafoor on said on Wednesday that India’s actions in occupied Kashmir were endangering regional peace, ater New Delhi revoked its special autonomy last month.
“The situation in Kashmir has become a big danger in the region...the Indian action in Kashmir is sowing seeds of war,” said Ghafoor in a televised press conference. “We do not want to take the conflict to that point where the regional and world peace is endangered,” he added.
Ghafoor told the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir that the Pakistani armed forces were standing by them and will go to any length to protect their land.
“I want to give this message to Kashmiris that we stand by you and will continue to do so. It is sad that your independence struggle was presented as terrorism. Kashmir is our jugular vein and we will go to any lengths to protect it.”
Ghafoor said Pakistan’s geographical situation cannot be ignored by regional countries or world powers. “India is a country with a huge population, a follower of Hitler is in power there. The world community has interests in India. Then there is China, an emerging world power. China has issues with India as well but their economic relations with India are stable. Afghanistan has seen nothing but war, martyrdom and loss of lives.”
“In India, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Nazi ideology are in power. They endanger minorities including Muslims and Dalits,” he said, adding that the situation is such in India that there is no religious or social freedom there.
In occupied Kashmir, he said, the “fascist” government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “uprooted Nehru’s step for the region.”
In contrast, the armed forces have established peace in Pakistan and the country is also playing its role for regional peace, the general said.
“We have avoided escalation,” he said of recent tensions with India over occupied Kashmir. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his first speech ater taking office had extended an offer of dialogue to India “in response to which they sent in two warplanes and received a fiting reply. Nuclear countries have no room for war.”
He said India has “indirectly continued to attack Pakistan,” an example of which he said was Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. “We are playing a role in the Afghan reconciliation process. If peace is established in Afghanistan, our troops deployed at the western border will probably be removed. Maybe India thinks that it should take action against us that would weaken us. We want to tell India that wars are not only fought with weapons and economy but with patriotism. The Quaid-e-azam’s vision and our belief is that Kashmir is our jugular vein.”
The ISPR chief recalled that there are United Nations resolutions on the conflict in Kashmir. “Recently Modi took an immoral step and repealed Article 370 of the Indian constitution. This is no longer a conflict of ideologies.”
He said Pakistan has been fighting a hybrid war for the past 20 years and considering the conflict spectrum, Pakistan’s options of response revolved around economy, diplomacy, finance, intelligence, etc.
“For the first time in 50 years, the UN Security Council held a session on Kashmir. The prime minister and the foreign minister have talked to several nations’ heads and foreign ministers. Modi says he doesn’t want mediation. If you don’t want mediation, then what did you talk to [US President Donald] Trump about?” he said. Thanking international and local media for effectively covering the oppression in Kashmir, he said the issue of Kashmir which was previously ignored by the world has now gained international atention.
“No step by Indian authorities that does not lead to the self-determination of Kashmiris is acceptable to us,” Ghafoor said.
At the same time, he added, “Any isolated step by us that might take the atention away from Kashmir issue will be cruelty to them.
“Armies protect a nation’s sovereignty. When that is threatened, warfighting becomes a compulsion instead of a choice. It is up to India and the rest of the world. How can you think that we can do a deal over Kashmir? We have not agreed to do that in 72 years, why would we do that now?” the ISPR chief asked.
In response to a question, Ghafoor said the decision to grant an extension to Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was a prerogative of the prime minister, which he had exercised. “Army chief did not want [an extension].
Pakistani armed forces were standing by Kashmiris and will go to any length to protect their land. A ‘befitting response’ will be given to any false-flag operation by India, says Gen Ghafoor