Islamabad, June 11: Pakistan on Thursday criticised India’s recent remarks on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, asserting that it was addressing the issues related to the protests in the region within a democratic and constitutional framework.
On Tuesday, India came down hard on Pakistan for its “brutality” against people in PoK and called on the international community to hold that country accountable for its “abuses”.
India’s reaction came as over 20 people were reportedly killed in police action on protesters in several parts of PoK.
Responding to questions during his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday said Pakistan rejected India’s statements “in their entirety.”
He also rejected any effort to compare the political situation on the two sides of the Line of Control (LoC).
The situation in PoK is being addressed “within a democratic and constitutional framework,” he said. “Any attempt to conflate the two is misleading and does not withstand objective scrutiny”.
Reacting to a statement made by an Indian minister, Andrabi warned that any attempt by India to block water would be treated as “an act of war”.
“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its economy and its vital national interests and the lives of its 250 million people,” he said.
He said that Pakistan firmly rejected any notion that water can be treated as a political tool or instrument of coercion or a weapon. “Such actions would threaten not just regional peace and security of South Asia and beyond…,” he stated.
On a question regarding the latest yearbook published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), he said Pakistan noted the report’s assessment of India’s nuclear capabilities, including the reported deployment of nuclear warheads.
Citing developments including the canisterisation of missile systems, the expansion of sea-based nuclear capabilities, and the pursuit of longer-range missile systems, he said such developments could increase operational readiness and complicate crisis stability in South Asia.
Commenting on military strikes in Afghanistan on June 9, he claimed that Pakistan had acted on “credible intelligence” and targeted hideouts and safe havens of militants belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban.
Responding to a question about a recent UN report documenting civilian casualties in eastern Afghanistan, Andrabi said he had not yet reviewed the report and therefore could not comment on its findings or methodology. (PTI)
