ISPR dismisses Indian army chief’s statement to cross LoC

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor has denounced a statement by the Indian Army Chief that it will move to claim Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) if ordered by Indian parliament.

The military’s spokesman dismissed the statement as ‘routine rheortic’ over the threat to cross the Line of Control and invade into AJK.

“Statements by Indian COAS to undertake military action across LOC are routine rhetoric for domestic audiences to get out of ongoing internal turmoil,” said the ISPR in a statement on social media site Twitter.

“Pakistan Armed Forces are fully prepared to respond to any act of Indian aggression,” he added.

Statements by Indian COAS to undertake military action across LOC are routine rhetoric for domestic audiences to get out of ongoing internal turmoil.
Pakistan Armed Forces are fully prepared to respond to any act of Indian aggression.

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 11, 2020

According to Indian media, the new army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane made the preposterous claim that a parliamentary resolution stated that the “entire Jammu and Kashmir” – a reference to the region including AJK – is part of India.

He added that that Indian army will move to take action if it receives orders to include AJK into it. “If parliament desires that area to also become our part at some point and if we receive any orders to this effect then action will definitely be taken,” said the Indian army chief.

In September last year, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Azad Kashmir “is a part of India”, and they “expect one day we will have physical jurisdiction over it.”

Recently, the Indian army chief who was appointed last month has said that they were ready to conduct larger-scale operations in Pakistan if  given the mandate.

The Foreign Office in Islamabad had denounced the statement saying: “We reject the new Indian army chief’s irresponsible statement regarding ‘pre-emptive strikes’ across the LoC inside Azad Jammu and Kashmir.”

It stated that the Indian leadership should not be mistaken “about Pakistan’s resolve and readiness to thwart any aggressive Indian move, inside its territory or AJK”.

DG ISPR had also responded to the Indian army chief’s threat saying Pkistan Army knows how to defend the country. He said Gen Naravane “knows full well the situation in the region and the capability of the Pakistan Army. He was part of the Indian force on Feb 27 as well. So he’s not new.”

The Indian army chief was reminded about the ‘Balakot misadventure’ in which two Indian military jets were downed and its pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan was captured. He was released days later as a goodwill gesture.