Vacate Indian Territory,’ India Replies to Pak’s J&K Remarks on PM Modi’s Podcast
In a sharp retort to Pakistan’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked Pakistan to “vacate Indian territory under its illegal occupation” instead of spreading lies. The MEA’s response comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized Pakistan for its hostility and betrayal in an interview on his podcast.
Pakistan, in its earlier remarks, had targeted India over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that India’s actions in the region were a “grave violation” of the international human rights law and the Geneva Conventions. The MEA, however, has rejected Pakistan’s allegations, terming them as “baseless” and “mischievous”.
“The world is aware of the real issue, which is Pakistan’s active promotion of cross-border terrorism,” the MEA said in a statement. “Pakistan should focus on addressing its own internal issues and stop spreading lies about India instead of trying to divert attention from its own failures.”
The MEA’s statement comes as a response to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent comments on Jammu and Kashmir, where he claimed that the situation in the region was “getting worse” and that India’s actions were causing “humanitarian crisis”. Khan’s remarks were made in an interview with a local TV channel.
In his podcast, Prime Minister Modi had expressed his disappointment over Pakistan’s continued hostility towards India, particularly over the Kashmir issue. He had also criticized Pakistan for its failure to take concrete steps to combat terrorism and Islamabad’s repeated attempts to internationalize the Kashmir issue.
India has long maintained that Pakistan’s continued support to terrorism and its attempts to destabilize the region are the root cause of the issues in Jammu and Kashmir. The MEA’s statement reiterates this stance, emphasizing that Pakistan’s occupation of parts of Kashmir is illegal and that it must vacate the territory.
The MEA’s statement also took a swipe at Pakistan’s claims of being a champion of human rights, saying that Islamabad’s own record on human rights was “questionable”. “Pakistan should focus on addressing its own internal issues, including the treatment of its own citizens, women, and minorities, and stop spreading lies about India,” the statement said.
The tensions between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir have been escalating in recent years, with both sides trading barbs over the issue. The situation took a turn for the worse in 2019 when India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan has been protesting India’s move, terming it as a “violation” of the UN Security Council resolutions and the Geneva Conventions. Islamabad has also backed separatist groups in the region, who have been demanding independence from India.
India, on the other hand, has maintained that the move to revoke Article 370 was aimed at integrating Jammu and Kashmir fully with the rest of the country and to ensure the region’s development. The government has also claimed that the move has brought peace and stability to the region, which was earlier marred by terrorism and separatist violence.
The MEA’s statement is a clear indication that India is not willing to back down on the Kashmir issue and is ready to take on Pakistan’s rhetoric with equal vigor. The statement also underscores the fact that India is not going to be swayed by Pakistan’s attempts to internationalize the issue and is ready to take on the world stage to defend its position.
