Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Saturday dismissed Indian claims of action by Pakistan across the Line of Control (LoC) and possession of bodies, besides condemning the use of cluster ammunition to target the civilian population in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in violation of the Geneva Convention and international law.
In a tweet, the army’s spokesman said that the allegations were ‘mere propaganda’. The ISPR DG said that the lies were a maneuvering tactic by the Indian side to divert the world’s attention from the increased atrocities in the occupied valley.
According to a statement, the Indian military on the night of July 30-31 targeted innocent citizens, including women and children in Neelum Valley through artillery using cluster ammunition. Dropped from planes or fired from artillery, cluster bombs explode in mid-air, scattering bomblets, with many civilians getting killed or maimed by their indiscriminate, wide-area effect. They also pose a lasting threat as many bomblets fail to explode on impact.
“This blatant Indian aggression against all international norms exposes true character of Indian Army and their moral standing,” the ISPR statement said.
It added that it was time for the international community to take notice of “this Indian blatant violation of international laws” on use of cluster ammunition for the purpose of targeting innocent citizens.
The military’s media wing also shared images of civilians who sustained gruesome injuries from the Indian troops’ use of cluster munitions.
“No weapon can suppress [the] determination of Kashmiris to get their right of self-determination,” the ISPR DG said in a tweet. “Kashmir runs in [the] blood of every Pakistani. Indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiris shall succeed, IA.”
Earlier in the day, the Indian Army had claimed it had “successfully foiled” a ‘border action team’ (BAT) operation by the Pakistan Army in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir, according to Times of India.
“Five to seven terrorists or Special Services Group (SSG) commandos from the Pakistan Army were killed in the unsuccessful BAT operation that began on the night of July 31. Four bodies have been seen lying on our (Indian) side of the LoC, in close proximity to our posts, but there is continuing cross-border firing in the sector,” an officer of the Indian Army was quoted as saying by Indian media.
The ISPR, in a statement issued late Saturday, dismissed the above statement as mere propaganda meant to deflect from atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
The statement read, “Such blatant lies/staged dramas are Indian disinformation manoeuvre to divert world attention from increased atrocities by Indian occupation forces inside the occupied Kashmir.”
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office also issued a statement expressing “serious concern over the progressively deteriorating situation” in Indian-occupied Kashmir. “There is a deepening anxiety and fear among the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir because of reports of deployment of additional 38,000 Indian paramilitary forces in recent weeks,” read the statement.
“The advice to tourists, yatris and students to immediately leave the occupied Kashmir and messages urging people to store food supplies, have stoked further apprehensions.”
The FO statement added that speculation had mounted that the Indian authorities might attempt to alter the demographic structure in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) and bring about a material change on the ground.
“As in the past, Pakistan is strongly opposed to any move that would seek to alter the demographic structure of the occupied Kashmir or change the internationally disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement read, adding that any such move would be in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions and seriously endanger peace and security in the region.
It said the recent developments had been accompanied by increased level of ceasefire violations by the Indian Army across the LoC. It said that between July 19 and August 3, unprovoked firing and use of heavy weaponry by India had led to six civilian deaths, injuries to 48 civilians, and damage to civilian infrastructure in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“In the latest provocation, cluster ammunition has been used by the Indian Army against civilians in AJK, resulting in the martyrdom of 2 civilians, including a 4-year-old child, and critical injuries to 11 civilians.”
According to the statement, Islamabad also rejected as ‘self-serving’ Indian assertions of “intelligence inputs” about some imminent “terrorist” attack in the occupied territory as a cover for new deployments.
“This is a familiar Indian ploy to externalise blame, use baseless allegations as a smokescreen, and persist with its state-sponsored repression against the Kashmiri people. We again caution the international community against any false flag operations.”
The FO called upon the international community to take immediate cognisance of the deteriorating situation in occupied Kashmir, urge India to act responsibly, and counsel India to work towards “preserving rather than imperilling peace and security” in South Asia.
Meanwhile, talking to a private news channel, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had feared that some forces would play the role of “spoilers” in view of the worsening situation in IHK as the Afghan peace talks entered a “critical stage”.
He said India was “in a state of panic” following US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate the Kashmir dispute and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s successful visit to Washington. “I fear that [India] is in search of a false-flag operation […] which it can use to again point fingers at Pakistan,” the foreign minister added.
Qureshi said he had expressed similar concerns in a letter to the United Nations secretary-general.
Asked how Pakistan would respond to the Indian aggression, the minister said diplomatic means would be used to direct the attention of the international community towards this violation. “In this regard, information will be shared with the envoys of P5 members of the Security Council.”
He observed that India was neither ready for mediation nor bilateral engagement and yet it continued to carry out ceasefire violations, including the violation of the Geneva Convention through the use of cluster ammunitions.
“India is playing an extremely dangerous game and the international community should take notice of this,” Qureshi said, adding that the latest violations threatened to harm regional peace and stability.
