Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday rebuffed the highly ‘irresponsible’ statement by Indian army chief Bipin Rawat and said New Delhi will be given a
befitting response in case of any misadventure.
In February, the Indian Air Force carried out the botched Balakot air strike. In retaliation, the Pakistan Air Force carried out Operation Swift Retort a day later and
shot down two IAF aircraft.
“Our intelligence agencies have noticed extraordinary movement along the Line of Control (LoC),” said FM Qureshi.
“It [LoC] has been breached from five places and this indicates that India has mala fide intentions. If India attempts any false flag operation or tries to invade
Pakistan under any pretext, Pakistan armed forces will give a befitting response.”
The foreign minister reiterated that Pakistan is a peace-loving country, however, it should not be considered as a weakness.
“I want to assure the Narendra Modi’s government on behalf of the Pakistani people that we are peaceful people but do not forget February 27,” the foreign minister
said.
Amid India’s aggressive stance, FM Qureshi had earlier sent another letter to the president of United Nation’s Security Council.
“This was my seventh letter [to the UNSC] in which I have identified the actions that reflect India’s tainted intentions,” he said.
“The LoC has been violated thousands of times in which nearly 300 people, including innocent women and children, have been targeted.”
He further stated that the escalation along the LoC had started since India revoked Article 370 in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
“Today marks the 136th day of curfew in IOK. There is a communication blackout and media and diplomats are not allowed to enter,” said Qureshi.
He stressed that a date for the visit by the UN observers should be finalised as soon as possible so the facts are conveyed to the Security Council through independent
sources.
Modi’s intentions are clear as the Indian parliament recently amended its citizenship law which excluded Muslims, trigging mass protests across the country, added the
foreign minister.
“Chief Minister of Assam Mamata Banerjee had led the protests against India’s amended citizenship bill because the law violates it the spirit of the Indian
Constitution,” Qureshi asserted.
