Latest news with #IndianIllegallyOccupied
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says
SINGAPORE: Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border, and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation… we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Indian aircraft: Pakistan airspace to remain closed until June 24 Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time,' he said. 'But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.' He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. 'Dangerous trend' The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers…in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Mirza said. 'This is a very dangerous trend.' India's aggressive posture threatening regional peace, Masood Khan Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, 'talks and terror don't go together' in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan. Surprisingly, Pakistan and India agree to ceasefire Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza said.
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Weaponisation of water against global norms, principles: FO
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the 'inflammatory monologue' delivered by Indian PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat, asserting India to return to the core principles of international order, said Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement. 'It is regrettable, though not entirely unexpected, that the Indian Prime Minister has, once again, set aside the ongoing project of historical revisionism and the internal repression of minorities to deliver yet another inflammatory monologue' the spokesperson added. Ambassador Shafqat remarked, 'His (Narendra Modi) references to weaponizing water, a shared, treaty-bound resource, reflect a troubling departure from international norms and a stark contrast between India's conduct in the region and its declared global ambitions. 'Deeply disturbing': Pakistan takes note of Indian PM Modi's remarks A leadership truly in pursuit of international respect might first look inward, and seek to cleanse its conscience before issuing threats to others, he added. The Indian government is linked to extraterritorial assassinations and foreign subversion. India is in occupation of foreign people and territories. Its record in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is defined by systematic repression. It is ironic that such a state now attempts to claim the mantle of victim hood. The statement reads that ideological followers of India's current government have normalised mob violence, promoted hate campaigns and targeted religious minorities. Such acts may serve domestic optics but cannot withstand international scrutiny. Nor do they inspire confidence in India's image as a responsible regional power. Pakistan urges India to return to the core principles of international order including respect for sovereign rights of others and its treaty obligations, as well as restraint in both language and action. Jingoism may stir applause on the campaign trail, but it undermines long-term peace and stability. India's youth, often the first casualty of chauvinistic nationalism, would do well to reject the politics of fear and instead work toward a future defined by dignity, reason, and regional cooperation. It is worth to note that Indian PM told a political gathering he wants to tell the new generation how his country was ruined. If you study the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, you'll be shocked. It was decided that the dams built on the rivers of Jammu and Kashmir would not be cleaned. Desilting would not be done, said Modi. He said the bottom gates for clearing sediments were to remain shut. For 60 years, these gates were never opened. Reservoirs that were supposed to be filled to 100% capacity have now been reduced to only 2% or 3%...Right now, I haven't done anything and people are sweating there (Pakistan). Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan deplores Modi's 'inflammatory monologue'
Pakistan on Wednesday regretted 'another inflammatory monologue' delivered by Indian Prime Minister Modi, advising Indian government to cleanse its conscience, desist issuing threats and return to the core principles of international order, including respect for sovereign rights of others and its treaty obligations, as well as restraint in both language and action. "It is regrettable, though not entirely unexpected, that the Indian prime minister has, once again, set aside the ongoing project of historical revisionism and the internal repression of minorities to deliver yet another inflammatory monologue. His references to weaponising water, a shared, treaty-bound resource, reflect a troubling departure from international norms and a stark contrast between India's conduct in the region and its declared global ambitions," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement. It further said that a leadership truly in pursuit of international respect might first look inward, and seek to cleanse its conscience before issuing threats to others. PM Modi in his remarks at a gathering in Gandhinagar, the other day, criticized provisions of Indus Waters Treaty saying that these were 'badly negotiated'. "The treaty has merely been put on hold and they (Pakistan) are already sweating profusely," the Indian media quoted him as saying. The Foreign Office in the statement said that the Indian government was linked to extraterritorial assassinations and foreign subversion. India is in occupation of foreign people and territories. Its record in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is defined by systematic repression. It is ironic that such a state now attempts to claim the mantle of victimhood.
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan condemns Modi's ‘reckless provocation'
ISLAMABAD: Condemning the provocative comments, Pakistan has taken note of the recent remarks by the prime minister of India, delivered in Gujarat with the theatrical flourish of a campaign rally rather than the sobriety expected of the leader of a nuclear-armed state. Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said, 'The hate-driven invocation of violence in his remarks is deeply disturbing, not only for its content but for the dangerous precedent it sets in a region already burdened by volatility.' We regret the continued erosion of maturity and decorum in Indian statecraft, he added. Such statements blatantly violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which obliges member states to resolve disputes peacefully and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty or political independence of other states. Modi in his address to a Gujrat rally said that people of Pakistan should come forward to get their country rid of terrorist. The FO spokesperson said Pakistan views these remarks as a reckless provocation, intended to distract from the ongoing human rights abuses and demographic engineering in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan's record as a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping and its consistent cooperation in global counter-terrorism efforts speak louder than any hostile soundbite. Ambassador Shafqat said, adding if extremism is indeed a concern for the Indian government, it would do well to turn inward—toward the alarming rise of majoritarianism, religious intolerance, and the systematic disenfranchisement of minorities under the increasingly brutal Hindutva ideology. Pakistan remains committed to peace based on mutual respect and sovereign equality. However, any threat to its security or territorial integrity will be met with firm and proportionate measures, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. The spokesperson urged the international community to take serious note of India's escalating rhetoric, which undermines regional stability and the prospects for lasting peace. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
‘Deeply disturbing': Pakistan takes note of Indian PM Modi's remarks
Pakistan took notice of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement, saying that the hate-driven invocation of violence in his remarks was not expected of the leader of a nuclear-armed state. In a statement on Tuesday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan regrets the continued erosion of maturity and decorum in Indian statecraft. 'Such statements blatantly violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which obliges member states to resolve disputes peacefully and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty or political independence of other states.' The FO's press release comes after the Indian PM in a rally in Gujrat said, 'To end terrorism in Pakistan, the people of Pakistan need to step forward. Live peacefully and eat your bread, or else my bullet is ready'. Meanwhile, FO said that Pakistan views these remarks as a reckless provocation, intended to distract from the ongoing human rights abuses and demographic engineering in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. 'Pakistan's record as a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping and its consistent cooperation in global counter-terrorism efforts speak louder than any hostile soundbite. If extremism is indeed a concern for the Indian government, it would do well to turn inward—toward the alarming rise of majoritarianism, religious intolerance, and the systematic disenfranchisement of minorities under the increasingly brutal Hindutva ideology,' it added. The FO called on the international community to take serious note of India's escalating rhetoric, which undermines regional stability and the prospects for lasting peace. Last week, the Indian PM had made another provocative statement by saying that Pakistan will not get water from rivers over which India has rights. 'Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack … Pakistan's army will pay it, Pakistan's economy will pay it,' Modi said at a public event in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, which borders Pakistan. In response, the FO had called the remarks 'baseless, provocative, and irresponsible allegations', saying that rather than resorting to fictitious narratives and warmongering for electoral mileage, 'India should demonstrate maturity by resolving outstanding disputes through peaceful dialogue and diplomacy'. 'Such statements not only reflect a deliberate attempt to mislead the public but also violate the norms of responsible statecraft,' FO said. 'Resorting to threats and boasting about military action against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law.
