By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday termed Indian allegations of Pakistani infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) as “baseless”, saying they were a “continuation of a dangerous agenda”.
The prime minister’s remarks came after a flurry of allegations from Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and other officials about the so-called “terrorist launch-pads” on the Pakistani side of the LoC and infiltration bids.
The premier via Twitter said that he has been “warning the world about India’s continuing efforts to find a pretext for a false flag operation against Pakistan”.
Speaking about occupied Kashmir, he said the “indigenous Kashmiri resistance against Indian occupation is a direct consequence of India’s oppression and brutalisation” of the people.
The premier cautioned that the “fascist policies” of Indian premier Narendra Modi’s government were “fraught with serious risks”. He urged the world community to take action before India’s “reckless moves jeopardise the peace and security” of the region.
Leader of the Opposition and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also rebuked India’s allegations. “Jingoism is written all over Modi’s DNA. Despite fight against Covid-19, incessant violations of LoC by Indian army have become a norm with 940 such incidents recorded this year alone,” he said on Twitter. “Allegation of ‘terror launching pads’ by India is meant to whip up propaganda against Pakistan!”
Pakistan on Saturday had asked the United Nations to seek proof from India about the alleged “terror launch pads” near the LoC and offered full cooperation with the UN military observers for probing the accusations.
“Pakistan formally offers the United Nations to approach India for obtaining information of alleged launch pads and share the same with UNMOGIP, who will be welcomed to move into any area without sharing specifics with the Pakistan government to validate Indian claims,” the Foreign Office said in a media statement.
Last month, FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui had strongly rejected the “irresponsible, spurious and totally false allegations” against Pakistan by the Indian army chief. Indian army chief General MM Naravane had alleged that while India was busy “not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world by sending medical teams and exporting medicines” during the coronavirus crisis, Pakistan was only “exporting terror”.
“These baseless Indian allegations are patently designed to divert global and domestic attention from India’s state-terrorism and egregious human rights violations, and clamping of fundamental freedoms in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly post August 5, 2019,” the FO spokesperson had responded in her statement. Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj General Babar Iftikhar had also termed India’s insinuation about infiltration and ceasefire violations (CFVs) “baseless” and said they were designed to divert global and domestic attention from the “unending fiasco” post the Indian annexation of Kashmir.
He had made the remarks last month in response to an interview of commander of the Indian Army’s 15th Corps Lt Gen BS Raju to the BBC. The 15th Corps is responsible for security along the Line of Control (LoC) and internal security of Kashmir. In his interview, the Indian commander had alleged that ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army were “shameful”. He further said that “Pakistan needs to change its behaviour so that both countries can deal with the coronavirus pandemic in their own ways”.
Raju also claimed that Pakistan was deliberately sending people infected with Covid-19 into Kashmir.
The DG ISPR had refuted both allegations, terming them “baseless” and “delusional”, and advised the Indian government to focus on “addressing the internal mess” which he said was created not only by Covid-19 but also by the “tragedy unfolding in India-occupied Kashmir for years on end”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday once again called on the international community to take notice of India’s brutality in occupied Kashmir . “I have been warning the world about India’s continuing efforts to find a pretext for a false flag operation targeting Pakistan,” the prime minister tweeted. “Latest baseless allegations by India of “infiltration” across [the Line of Control] LoC are a continuation of this dangerous agenda. The indigenous Kashmiri resistance against Indian occupation is a direct consequence of India’s oppression and brutalisation of Kashmiris,” he said.
The prime minister added, “The fascist policies of the RSS-BJP combine are fraught with serious risks. The international community must act before India’s reckless moves jeopardise peace and security in South Asia.”
The premier’s remarks come after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and other officials last week alleged that Pakistan has been operating terrorist launch pads from it’s side of the LoC and attempting to infiltrate the border into the Indian side. A day earlier, Director-General ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar had also dismissed Indian Army’s allegations and termed them as ‘baseless’ and ‘non-serious’.
DG Iftikhar had said that India’s violations across the LoC were increasing with each passing day. “The situation at the LoC is turning serious,” he said.
