ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday responded strongly to “the inflammatory and irresponsible remarks” made by the Indian External Affairs Minister regarding Pakistan and AJK and rubbished his country’s claim over the territory.
A day earlier, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said: “Our position on [Azad Kashmir] is, has always been and will always be very clear. [Azad Kashmir] is part of India and we expect one day that we will have the jurisdiction, physical jurisdiction over it.”
In its response, Foreign Office said through a statement: “These remarks are an obvious manifestation of India’s utter frustration over the continued international censure of its egregious human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
It called attention the fact that with the presence of close to a million military personnel incarcerating more than 8 million Kashmiris in one of the world’s largest prison, India is obdurately committing state terrorism in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“India cannot divert international attention from its crimes against the innocent people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir by blaming Pakistan,” read the statement.
“India today is also a unique and deplorable case of a state which promotes hate crimes against minorities and consistently fails to bring to account those who indulge in cow vigilantism, mob lynchings and forced conversions and are guilty of violating India’s own laws.”
The Foreign Office said that the crimes committed by India are enough evidence to debunk pretentious claims it flouts of being a normal state and the so-called largest democracy.
“Pakistan calls on the international community to take serious cognizance of India’s aggressive posturing about taking ‘physical jurisdiction’ of AJK,” said the statement.
“Coming from an occupying state, such irresponsible and belligerent statements have the potential to further escalate tensions and seriously jeopardize peace and security in the region,” it added.
The Foreign Office reiterated Pakistan’s peaceful stance but said that the country will be ready to respond effectively to any act of aggression.
“Instead of resorting to jingoistic rhetoric, India must rescind its illegal actions, stop forthwith grave human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, refrain from violating international law, and fully comply with UN Security Council resolutions for a final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” concluded the statement.