ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday warned that increasingly confrontational statements by senior Indian officials on Kashmir could heighten tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and undermine prospects for regional peace, dialogue and economic stability.
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif issued the warning after his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, described Azad Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India and ruled out dialogue with Islamabad except over the territory administered by Pakistan.
Responding to the remarks, Asif said New Delhi’s coercive posture could lower the threshold for an interstate conflict in a region that has already witnessed repeated military crises.
“Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue, but its resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security is absolute and must never be tested,” the defence minister said in a statement posted on X.
He said political rhetoric could not change the internationally recognised nature of the Kashmir dispute or the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Asif also linked the renewed anti-Pakistan statements to growing political pressure within India, alleging that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attempting to divert attention from domestic unrest and public dissatisfaction.
His comments came against the backdrop of recent protests in India led by students and young people seeking reforms in the country’s education system.
The Foreign Office separately condemned Singh’s remarks, describing them as provocative and inconsistent with India’s obligations under international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
It said attempts to unilaterally redefine the status of Kashmir through public statements or threats of military action would not resolve the dispute and could further destabilise South Asia.
Pakistan urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take notice of what it called India’s increasingly aggressive posture and its failure to implement resolutions guaranteeing the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026