Modi warned against ‘underestimating’ Pak armed forces

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “irresponsible and war-mongering” remarks, and stressed no one should “underestimate” the resolve of its people and the armed forces to effectively thwart any aggressive action.

The reaction to the Indian Prime Minister’s rhetoric came after Modi in a speech to military personnel claimed India was capable of making Pakistan “bite the dust” in less than 10 days in any new war.

Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, in a statement, said: “These remarks are another reflection of India’s incurable obsession with Pakistan and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government and leadership’s desperate attempts to divert attention from growing domestic and international criticism of their discriminatory, anti-Kashmir and anti-minority policies.”

“Pakistan’s immediate and effective response to India’s Balakot misadventure, including the downing of Indian fighter aircraft and capture of Indian pilot last year, should suffice to underscore the will, capacity and preparedness of our armed forces,” she said.

“The Indian Prime Minister’s threats and provocative statements further illustrate the extremist mindset that pervades the BJP leadership and has evidently permeated the state institutions in India”, the spokesperson said.

“We urge the international community to take cognisance of the Indian leadership’s continuing belligerent rhetoric and aggressive measures, which pose a threat to regional peace and security”, she said.

“We hope steps would be taken to facilitate peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute for durable peace and stability in South Asia,” the spokesperson maintained.

Modi is under pressure after weeks of protests against a new citizenship law, a slowing economy and the prospect of losing the latest in a string of state elections in New Delhi next month. “Pakistan has already lost three wars. Our armed forces will not take more than 7-10 days to make Pakistan bite the dust,” Modi claimed on Tuesday.

Tensions reached a new high between India and Pakistan after August 5, 2019 when India scrapped the special status of occupied Kashmir. It has been almost six months and the curfew imposed on the disputed territory continues. The valley has been under a strict military-enforced curfew as Indian authorities block communication services and restrict freedom of travel.