‘Exercise in irony’: Pakistan hits back at Indian army chief’s terrorism claims

Pakistan Thursday dismissed the Indian Army Chief’s recent remarks on terrorism, calling them ironic and pointing to India’s own role in destabilising the region.

The response came during a press briefing by the Foreign Office, where spokesperson refrained from directly addressing the Indian Army Chief’s reported statement, but emphasised India’s alleged involvement in regional instability.

“I haven’t seen the statement of the Indian Army Chief, but we all know what is the root cause of instability in the region,” the Foreign Office stated.

Pakistan condemns India’s ban on Kashmiri political groups

“We know how India has been trying to destabilize its neighboring countries. It has been running a global assassination campaign. I would refer to whatever the Indian Army Chief has said as an exercise in irony.”

During the recent India Today Conclave, the Indian Army Chief was questioned about the growing relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

In his response, he indirectly accused Pakistan of being the epicentre of terrorism, suggesting that its relationships with neighbouring countries should be a cause for concern.

Pakistan also denounced the Indian authorities’ decision to declare the ‘Awami Action Committee’ and ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen’ as ‘Unlawful Association’ for a period of five years.

The ‘Awami Action Committee’ is led by a prominent political and religious leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen’ was also founded by another notable political and religious leader, Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, who headed it till his demise in 2022.

The recent decision increases the total number of outlawed Kashmiri political parties and organizations to 16.

“Banning of different political parties and organizations is yet another manifestation of the Indian authorities’ iron-fisted approach in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” the spokesperson said.

“It also reflects a desire to suppress the political activities and stifle dissent. It also shows sheer disregard of democratic norms and international human rights law.”

The government of India is urged to remove the curbs on the Kashmiri political parties, release all political prisoners; and faithfully implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, the foreign office emphasised.