KARACHI: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan military’s media wing, on Thursday denounced a top Indian military official’s statement about taking control of parts of Azad Kashmir as an “apt manifestation” of the Indian army’s “delusional mindset”, Dawn.com reported.

“The unwarranted statement of a high-ranking Indian army officer co­n­cerning Azad Jammu and Kash­mir is an apt manifestation of Indian armed forces’ delusional mindset and showcases the vivid imprint of domestic political showboating on Indian military thought,” a tweet by the ISPR director general said.

The tweet referred to Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s statement on Tuesday, following Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks about “retrieving” parts of Azad Kashmir and his claims that citizens were subjected to human rights violations in the region.

According to Hindustan Times, Dwi­vedi, who is the general officer co­mmanding-in-chief of the Indian army’s northern command, respon­ded to the minister’s statement by underscoring that a resolution on the matter already existed in parliament.

Rejoinder follows Indian officer’s threats about Azad Kashmir

“As far as the Indian army is concerned, it will carry out any order given by the government of India. We are always ready for it,” the report quoted him as saying.

He alleged that “there were around 300 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir at this time, with another 160 waiting for an opportunity to cross the LoC (Line of Control) and sneak into India”.

In its rebuke, the ISPR said: “The fallacious remarks and unfounded allegations of so-called ‘launch-pads’ and ‘terrorists’ are an attempt to divert attention from the Indian army’s repressive use of force and gross human rights violations against innocent, unarmed Kashmiris striving for their right to self-determination, upheld by international law and enshrined in UN (United Nations) Security Council resolutions.

The ISPR further said the Indian officials’ “lofty claims and surreal ambition is intellectually insulting. Pakistan military is a force for good and a proponent of regional peace and stability”.

However, the ISPR warned, this desire for peace “is matched with our capability and preparation to thwart any misadventure or aggression against our territory, an assertion comprehensively validated on numerous occasions, including recently in the Balakot episode”.

In the interest of regional peace, the Indian military would do well to abstain from “irresponsible rhetoric and vitriolic communication to shore up electoral support for their political masters’ regressive ideology”, the ISPR chief asserted.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2022