Pakistan on Monday reacted strongly to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent anti-Pakistan statements, terming them ‘highly unfortunate and irresponsible’.
“Pakistan considers these remarks as highly unfortunate and irresponsible. Such rhetoric for short-term political and electoral gains, with complete disregard to its effects on strategic stability in South Asia, is regrettable and against norms of responsible nuclear behaviour,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Modi, while addressing an election rally in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh on Sunday, had claimed that New Delhi had stopped its policy of being frightened by ‘Islamabad’s threats’ and that its nuclear capabilities were not being kept for Diwali.
Responding to Modi’s remarks on Indian nuclear capability, the FO spokesperson said, “We would like to draw attention to the remarks of Indian prime minister, sensationally referring to the night of 27 February, 2019, and the missile related threat from India as ‘Qatal ki Raat’ (the night of murder). It clearly contradicts the position of Indian officials, who had tried to give an impression that there were no such plans of India and instead had blamed Pakistan for whipping up war hysteria.” “Such nuclear brinksmanship needs to be discouraged. It is in the interest of the region that both countries resume dialogue and discuss confidence building and restraint measures for the long-term strategic stability in South Asia,” he added.
Islamabad condemns detention of JKLF chief on trumped-up charges
Separately, Islamabad strongly condemned the continuing incarceration of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik since February 22 on trumped-up charges despite his deteriorating health.
Yasin Malik, who was arrested under the draconian Public Safety Law, was shifted to the notorious Tihar Jail despite his worsening health, according to a Foreign Office statement issued here on Monday.
Despite his serious ill health and in violation of legal rights, ethics and norms, his family, who were informed after considerable delay, had not been permitted to meet him. The FO said given the previous history of the Indian government’s mistreatment and violation of human rights of the Kashmiri leaders, frequently subjecting them to torture and imprisoning them under fabricated charges due to their political beliefs, the apprehensions of Malik’s family members and Kashmiris in general about the safety and health of Malik are justified.
Malik’s incarceration, it said, was yet another link in the series of steps taken by India to continue its intensified oppression of the Kashmiri people struggling for the realisation of the legitimate right to self-determination. Indian draconian laws, including the Public Safety Act, which are in blatant violation of fundamental human rights, which grant immunity to Indian occupation forces to operate with impunity, to arrest and kill innocent Kashmiris without any fear of prosecution, had also been strongly criticized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UK All Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group, the FO statement said.
Coercive Indian measures and brutalities against the Kashmiris in the occupied valley will not change the universally accepted reality of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, but will only aggravate the situation, the FO said. “Pakistan expect the Government of India to ensure the well-being of Yasin Malik, including provision of adequate healthcare, and calls upon the international community to impress upon India to desist from such inhuman actions, abolish draconian laws like PSA and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which perpetuate Indian atrocities in IHK, stop harassing and victimizing Kashmiris and expedite the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” the statement concluded.
