DG ISPR rejects India’s infiltration charges

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting Indian claims of infiltration across the Line of Control into the Indian Occupied Kashmir from Azad Jammu Kashmir, Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar said on Monday that Pakistan was ready for any inspection by the United Nations observers.

Speaking to a private news channel, the Pakistan Army spokesman pointed out that such accusations were merely a futile attempt by the Indian military and political leadership to externalize the internal situation in the IOK and India. “Nobody needs to infiltrate into India as their government had created an internal situation in Occupied Kashmir itself that has engulfed the whole country,” General Iftikhar said.

He said the UN observers could undertake an inspection exercise any time inAzad Jammu Kashmir if they felt like verifying the ‘false’ claims by India alluding to the alleged launch pads of the alleged infiltrators and the supposed infiltration from the AJK into the IOK.

Questioning the veracity of the claims, the DG challenged India to furnish evidence to support the allegations and suggested such rhetoric by India must come to an end now. He said any attempt at infiltration was not possible due to the robust and effective monitoring mechanisms employed by the UN Observes and the constant satellite supervision in place by India and the three-tiered fencing apparatus along the LOC.

The DG reiterated that the ‘saffronization’ policies being practiced by the incumbent Indian government necessitates the need of fallacious accusations by their political and military leadership merely to shift the international attention from gross human rights violations within India and the Occupied Kashmir. “The situation is very bad and international community should take notice of the situation,” he said.

The DG ISPR also rejected the Indian claims of infiltrating COVID-19-infected people into India from AJK. “The situation with regard to prevention against COVID-19 in AJK is much better in Azad Kashmir as compared to rest of the country,” he observed.

The military spokesperson said there was no change in troops deployment on Pakistan’s western or eastern borders. “The eastern border has become more active due to increased Cease Fire Violations (CFVs) at a time when the UN had also appealed for cessation of all conflicts in view of the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

Major General Babar Iftikhar said the armed forces were called in to help the civil administration and they were doing their job well while keeping the mandatory social distancing. “Due to self- discipline in armed forces, it is very easy for us to maintain social distancing,” he said and added that he himself was offering ‘Taraweeh’ at home.

To a question on the protection of rights of minorities in the country, the DG said that Pakistan earned praise from the international community in this regards. The United Nations has particularly lauded the opening up of the Kartarpur Corridor for the Sikh community, he said and added that India was now placed on the UN list of countries where rights of minorities were not protected.

Commenting on the latest situation regarding the COVID-19 in the country, he said the conditions were expected to improve but the virus would continue to change the normal life till a vaccine was invented to combat the disease.