-COAS, ISI Chief meet PM
-Discuss HR abuses by Indian Forces in IIOJ&K, growing LoC hostilities
-Review national, regional security scenario
-Disinfo drive can’t hide Indian HR abuse, says FO
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: The civilian, military and intelligence leadership on Thursday expressed the resolve to ensure the defence of the country with the support of the people “at all costs”.
The resolution was expressed in a meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who called on the former in Islamabad today. Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was also present on the occasion.
During the meeting, professional matters pertaining to the Pakistan Army, and the external and internal security situation were discussed, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting expressed concern over “continuous human rights violation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir”.
Ceasefire violations and “frequent provocative measures” by the Indian forces along the Line of Control also came under discussion.
“It was resolved that defence of the motherland will be ensured with the support of the entire nation at all costs,” the PMO said on Twitter. The meeting comes two days after Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa warned the Indian army that it would always get a befitting response to any “misadventure or aggression” from across the divide. The note of caution by Gen Bajwa came during his visit to the army positions in unspecified snowbound forward areas along the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday.
Last week, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi revealed in the United Arab Emirates that the government had credible information that India was planning a ‘surgical strike’ against Pakistan to divert attention from its internal affairs and that it was trying to seek “tacit approval” for the move from its international partners. Qureshi’s presser was held the same day that the Indian army “deliberately” fired upon a UN vehicle carrying two military observers on a routine monitoring mission along the restive LoC.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Imran too informed the international community that India will be given a “befitting response” if it was reckless enough to carry out a “false-flag operation” against Pakistan. “I want to again warn the world community, as India’s internal problems mount, especially economic recession, growing farmers protests and mishandling of Covid-19, the Modi government will divert from the internal mess by conducting a false flag operation against Pakistan,” the premier wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Pakistan urged India to eschew use of false propaganda as state policy and must realize that the ploys of spreading disinformation were doomed to fail. “By spreading such falsehoods, India can neither cast a shadow on the international stature of Pakistan nor can divert the attention of the international community from India’s horrendous human rights record,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said here in his weekly press briefing.
Referring to the imposition of a fine on Republic Bharat TV by the British media regulator Ofcom, for anti-Pakistan hate show by Arnab Goswami, he said it was “yet another manifestation of the BJP government’s well-known smear campaign against Pakistan through state-controlled media.”
He said the Ofcom found the statements in the show to be “expressions of hatred” and “intolerance” towards Pakistani people based on their nationality alone.
He said through its state-sponsored media, Indian RSS-BJP regime had constantly tried to masquerade as the victim, rather than the perpetrator of terrorism.
He said the the recent dossier shared by Pakistan provided irrefutable evidence of India’s active role in planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and execution of terrorist activities in Pakistan. He said the action taken by Ofcom, along with the report by EU DisinfoLab, corroborated its long-held position about India’s incurable obsession with Pakistan.
“We urge the international community to take a serious look into the malicious Indian propaganda that not only aims to defame Pakistan, but also politicizes international forums and imperils peace and security,” the spokesperson said.Regarding the virtually-held Second Round of Pakistan-Azerbaijan Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC), the spokesperson told media that the two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the political, trade and economy, energy, defence, education and cultural arenas. The foreign secretary reiterated Pakistan’s principled support on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognized Azerbaijan’s valuable support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He apprised media of the passage of a Pakistan-sponsored resolution, titled “Universal Realisation of the Right of Peoples to Self-determination” by the UN General Assembly reaffirming global commitment to self-determination to be the fundamental right of all peoples, including those under colonial, foreign and alien domination. “The adoption of this Resolution reaffirms Pakistan’s legal, political and moral case in support of all peoples, including the Kashmiris, in their rightful struggle for self-determination against foreign occupation by all means available to them” he remarked.
