Aggression will be thwarted: General Qamar Bajwa

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said Pakistan was fully prepared to thwart any misadventure/aggression and its quest for peace must never be misconstrued as weakness.

Gen Bajwa said this while addressing troops during his visit to the Line of Control, according to a tweet by Director General ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor. He assured that there would never be a compromise on Kashmir whatever the cost. He also visited the CMH, Muzaffarabad, and inquired after the patients and victims of unprovoked Indian firing in areas near the Line of Control.

The ISPR footage showed Gen Bajwa meeting and addressing troops stationed along the LoC and inquiring after the patients under treatment at the CMH.

The Line of Control has been frequently witnessing ceasefire violations in a serious breach of 2003 truce between the two armies, causing mainly civilian casualtiesin different areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The two armies also exchanged fire in some areas along the LoC on Sunday but no casualties were reported from anywhere. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said India may carry out any misstep at the Line of Control to divert the international community’s attention from the protests taking place in the wake of passing of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 targeting the Muslim population. In a statement, he said tension was currently at peak in India and this was occurring due to the steps taken by the Modi government. He said the Indians were protesting against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 not only within India, but also across the world. He said those feeling that the Indian government had buried the ideology of a secular India and was imposing Hindu Rashtra and Hindutva philosophy were taking part in these protest demonstrations.

Qureshi said ceasefire violations along the LoC had increased and fencing had also been cut at various places there. “There is an unusual movement of military there,” he added. The foreign minister said India had committed ceasefire violations over 3,000 times since January this year and more than three hundred people had been targeted. He said there seemed a well-thought-out plan of India to destroy peace in the region.

Qureshi said India had camouflaged the ongoing reign of tyranny in the occupied Kashmir through the communication blackout; however, despite its desire India could not hide the protests taking place across the country because the government could not impose curfew in the entire country. He said the world was fully aware of what the Modi government was doing. However, he regretted that the world was just watching the entire situation due to its vested interests. “This silence is dangerous and can put peace of the entire region at stake,” he warned.

The foreign minister thanked countries, including Malaysia and Turkey, for raising their voice for Kashmiris. He said the independent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had also taken notice of the use of pellet guns in the IOK on Pakistan’s demand and an investigation in this regard had also been started.