DG ISPR issues open challenge to Indian army to share locations of targeted 'terror camps'

Published October 21, 2019
Pakistani troops patrol near the Line of Control (LoC) in Chakothi sector, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on August 29. — AFP
Pakistani troops patrol near the Line of Control (LoC) in Chakothi sector, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on August 29. — AFP

The Pakistan Army's media wing on Monday issued an open challenge to the Indian army to share locations of the alleged terror camps the latter had claimed to have targeted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The challenge came in response to a tweet by Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, who noted that the Indian high commission in Pakistan has not yet responded to an offer made by the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), who had on Sunday challenged the embassy to take any foreign diplomat or media and prove the presence of terrorist camps in AJK as claimed by the Indian army chief.

"It indicates that they have no grounds to support [the] false claim by their COAS. We expect them to respond soon," the FO spokesperson wrote.

In response, the DG ISPR tweeted that "Indians have no grounds to support [the] false claim made by their COAS."

He said if the Indian envoys did not wish to visit AJK, they have the option of sharing the locations the Indian army had claimed to have targeted with Pakistan's FO.

"We will take foreign diplomats & media tomorrow on those given locations. Let all see facts on ground," the army's media wing said.

On Sunday, six civilians and a Pakistan Army soldier had embraced martyrdom while two soldiers and at least nine civilians were wounded in AJK after Indian troops resorted to “indiscriminate and ruthless” shelling from across the LoC past midnight “without any provocation”, civil and military officials had said.

In response, Pakistani troops had targeted Indian positions across the dividing line, destroying two Indian bunkers, killing nine Indian soldiers and injuring several other troops.

Pakistan had later rejected India’s claim that they had “smashed four terror launch pads” in Neelum valley in the artillery fire by the Indian army as a “pack of lies”.

In response to the Indian army chief's claim, the ISPR chief had tweeted: “Indian COAS’ statement claiming destruction of 3 alleged camps in AJK is disappointing as he holds a very responsible appointment. There are no camps let alone targeting those. Indian Embassy in Pakistan is welcome to take any foreign diplomat / media to ‘prove’ it on ground. The propensity of false claims by senior Indian military leadership, especially since Pulwama incident, is detrimental to peace in the region. Such false claims by Indian Army are being made to suit vested domestic interests. This is against professional military ethos.”

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