New Delhi: Given the recent spate of robust foreign policy comments from senior officers of the Pakistani army, it seems that Pakistan’s defence likes playing it offensive. On Wednesday, a surge of tweets by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa on behalf of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, were directed squarely at India, which, just the day before, had sharply denounced Islamabad for its “forcible and illegal occupation” of the Gilgit Baltistan regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bajwa’s tweets were as follows:
Contours of future wars fast changing.While our enemies supporting terrorism to stoke sub conventional conflicts&destabilise our country-3/6
Fully determined,capable of defeating nefarious designs.Pak opposed to use proxies vs other ctys,won’t allow any cty to use proxies vs Pak-4
Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition,Pak &Kashmir are inseparable.While we wish peace, stability in region,we want Kashmir’s…5/6″
Just Resolution in the light of UN resolutions & as per aspirations of Kashmiris to bring lasting peace in region…6/6
The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports that General Sharif’s statements were made while addressing a conference at the National Defence University on Wednesday. Apart from the Kashmir remarks, Dawn said the Pakistani army chief probably had India on his mind when he referred to “enemies supporting terrorism to stoke sub conventional conflicts and destabilise our country” and to the use of proxies by other countries against Pakistan.
Gen Sharif’s statement may be read in the light of similar views expressed earlier by the Pakistani leadership regarding India’s ‘nefarious designs’ of ‘encouraging terrorism’ in Pakistan and its attempt to sabotage the historic $46 billion partnership with China. The Pakistani media have quoted Federal Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar’s apprehensions over Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s “terrorists have to be neutralised through terrorists” statement, cautioning that it was an open admission by the Indian state of sponsoring terrorism.
Dawn notes, “A May 5 conference chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif at General Headquarters took serious notice of RAW’s involvement in whipping up terrorism in Pakistan”.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani foreign office condemned India’s statement on Gilgit Baltistan, saying it amounted to “interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.”