Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday warned India to refrain from any misadventure at the Line of Control (LoC) or otherwise be prepared for a befitting response. “In case of any aggression or false flag operation by India, our armed forces are ready to effectively thwart it,” the foreign minister said in a video message shared by his ministry. Qureshi said Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have noticed extraordinary movement on the other side of the LoC, clearly showing India’s nefarious designs.
Terming as ‘highly irresponsible’ the statement of Indian army chief wherein he hinted that situation at LoC can aggravate any time, the foreign minister said, “We are a peaceful nation, but our desire for peace should not be taken as a weakness.”
Qureshi asked India not to forget February 27, as he referred to the historic day when Pakistan gunned down two Indian fighter jets over ceasefire violation. “The entire nation will stand with the armed forces and uphold the ideology and geography of Pakistan and Kashmir,” he said.
He said India is trying to divert attention from its recently passed citizenship amendment bill which aims at marginalising the minorities, particularly Muslims. He recalled his seventh letter sent to UN Security Council chief drawing his attention towards 3,000 LoC violations, 300 casualties including women and children and barbed wired at LoC cut at five points. He expressed concerns over the new deployment of security forces along LoC and installation of Brahmos missiles in Indian-held Kashmir and the Spike missiles towards Azad Jammu and Kashmir. From missile tests by India from this August and onwards, he said the obvious pattern shows a situation posing serious threats to the regional stability.
The foreign minister mentioned China’s taking up of situation in IHK and seeking briefing from UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) for an independent verification.
Meanwhile, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Thursday termed a recent statement by Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat an ‘effort, as usual, to divert world attention from widespread protests’ over the controversial citizenship amendment bill. “Provocative statements and preparations for escalation along LoC by Indian COAS appear to be an effort, as usual, to divert world attention from widespread protests in India against CAB,” Ghafoor tweeted. “Pakistan armed forces shall befittingly respond to any Indian misadventure or aggression,” he added.
