CHIEF of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir on Saturday reacted firmly to “highly irresponsible statements” from Indian officials about Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, saying the Pakistan Army was “ever ready” to take the fight to its enemy.
General Munir’s remarks followed statements from India’s Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
In October, Singh said he hoped to have GB as part of India to complete the mission the Modi Government began by annexing Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir in August 2019.
Last week, Dwivedi — the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Indian army’s northern command — commented on Singh’s statement by underscoring that a resolution on the matter already existed in the Indian Parliament.
The statements of India’s civilian and military leaders were obviously part of New Delhi’s strategy to keep Pakistan under pressure but the categorical statement of the new Army Chief that any misconception resulting into a misadventure will always be met with full might of our defence forces backed by a resilient nation is a reminder to the Indian leaders about the ground realities.
It was this disillusioned mindset that resulted in an air aggression into Pakistani territory but the world saw the misadventure cost heavily to India.
In fact, Indians are talking about GB and Azad Kashmir just in a bid to divert attention of the world community from the black deeds of the Indian Army and the Central Government in Occupied Kashmir and that is why General Munir also called on the world to “ensure justice and deliver what is promised” to Kashmiris as per the relevant UN resolutions.
It is also meaningful that the new Army Chief preferred visiting troops on the Line of Control and made a purely professional statement that also explains the gripe of the Indian media over the merit-based appointment of General Asim Munir.
