Pakistan Army on Friday said that India’s attempt to ‘link coronavirus with Muslims and Pakistan’ has failed badly.
“At a time when the entire world is battling the coronavirus pandemic, extremists in India have proved that the country is promoting Hindutva and saffron terrorism,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar told a press conference here. He said baseless allegations against Pakistan are a ‘reflection of India’s internal failures and increasing frustrations and demoralisations’.
The DG ISPR said Indian army’s leadership used the country’s media to unsuccessfully propagate a ‘false’ narrative. The fire of oppression, hatred and race that India had lit in the occupied valley of Kashmir has now spread to the rest of the country. “The saffronisation of the Indian military is a sad spectre and ill-suited during the current circumstances. The reality of the fake news that India tried to spread regarding Azad Kashmir is now in front of the world,” he said, adding that the least number of coronavirus cases across country are in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and no deaths have been reported so far there. “Whenever India faced internal problems, it has blamed Pakistan. The current allegations are also based on the same [tactic], to divert internal and international attention from situations arising out if its own policy blunders,” he said, adding that under India’s current internal conditions, no country needs to infiltrate India. The DG ISPR pointed out that there has been an increase in ceasefire violations by India. “Since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Pakistan, India has committed some 456 violations, resulting in the death of a minor child and injuries to 31 others,” he said.
The DG ISPR said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had instructed the army to help civilian administration during the month of Ramazan. “The COAS held a special conference at General Headquarters on Friday where the overview of the coronavirus deployment and situation was taken into account. COAS instructed all commanders to ensures border security and carry out routine activities as per schedule,” he said. “COAS instructed army to work with civil authorities to ease the difficulties being faced by the people during Ramazan. The conference also took notice of statements issued by Indian leadership with regards to Pakistan,” he added.
Anwering questions about the virus epidemic, the DG ISPR said that it is clear that the confirmed virus cases are less than initial projections. “We fear that this number may increase in two weeks. Through the NCOC platform, the national effort against the virus is being reviewed,” he said. “All resources of Pakistan Army are being used on the order of the government to tackle the pandemic. Resource allocation is being altered due to changing situation. Under new strategy, we are taking resources to provincial, district, and union council levels,” he said. “Process of delivering more than 350,000 ration packs is ongoing. These were purchased from the funds gathered through salaries of Pakistan Army employees. Soldiers have also decided not to take internal security allowance to help with virus relief,” he added.
