New Delhi: India on Tuesday strongly rejected claims made by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who blamed India for the ongoing violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the allegations false and accused Pakistan of trying to hide its own failures.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan’s claims were nothing but an attempt to escape blame. “Such remarks are desperate attempts by Pakistan to cover up its own failings and deflect attention away from its human rights abuses,” Jaiswal said.
He added that India completely rejects these claims. “We categorically reject these fabricated claims with the contempt that they deserve,” Jaiswal said. He explained that the unrest in PoK has nothing to do with India. “The ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are a direct consequence of Pakistan’s decades-long policy of systemic economic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights, and administrative oppression in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation,” he said.
Jaiswal also accused Pakistani authorities of using harsh measures against people protesting in PoK. “The Pakistani state has responded with extreme police brutality, blocking of essential supplies and medicines, internet blackouts, and use of lethal force against unarmed civilians,” he said.
He said the crackdown has already cost lives. “Several people have also lost their lives,” Jaiswal said. He called on other countries to take notice of the situation. “We hope the international community will hold Pakistan accountable for its misdeeds and abuses,” he said.
These comments came after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif blamed India for the ongoing violence in PoK and made a separate remark threatening war over the Indus Waters Treaty. Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, Asif had said, “The moment we feel that our national security, and water is part of our national security, is being threatened, we will go to war against India. Definitely.”
Background
Protests have been going on for weeks in PoK, led by a group called the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which Pakistan has now banned. The protesters are angry over issues like reserved seats in the local assembly and unequal distribution of resources. Reports say several people have died and many have been injured in clashes between protesters and security forces.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister had blamed India for the unrest, a charge India has firmly denied.
The Author
Discover more from News Network Plus
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
