ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, sharply criticized his Indian counterpart on Monday following recent remarks regarding the Kashmir dispute. Asif alleged that New Delhi’s latest comments are a strategic attempt to distract from significant “internal turmoil” within India.
Asif’s rebuttal follows Sunday’s statements by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who accused the Pakistani government of supporting “terrorism.” Singh reiterated that India would not engage in dialogue with Islamabad unless the discussions centered on Azad Kashmir—the region administered by Pakistan—asserting that the territory is an integral part of India. Singh further warned that any efforts to undermine Indian sovereignty would trigger a decisive military response.
The nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan, have fought two of their three major wars over the contested Himalayan territory of Kashmir. While both nations claim full sovereignty over the region, they administer separate sections. A brief military skirmish occurred in May 2025 after Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that resulted in over 30 deaths, mostly tourists—an allegation Pakistan denies.
“The Defense Minister’s rhetoric is an attempt to deflect attention from internal turmoil and the increasing unrest and discontent resulting from Modi’s autocratic and divisive governance style,” Asif stated on the social media platform X.
The Pakistani defense minister’s comments specifically address the widespread, week-long protests in India led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which concluded following the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week.
Large numbers of student and youth protesters had occupied sites near India’s parliament to demand education reforms, presenting a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
Asif argued that Singh’s comments represent a persistent effort to distort the legally recognized realities of the Kashmir dispute through “political rhetoric and coercive posturing.”
“Such tactics neither change the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir nor contribute to regional peace, stability, or constructive dialogue,” he added.
He characterized India’s military threats as alarming rhetoric that risks lowering the threshold for interstate conflict in the region.
“Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue; however, our resolve to protect our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security is absolute and must never be tested,” Asif warned.
In a concurrent statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office also condemned Singh’s remarks, suggesting they were designed to divert attention from India’s ongoing occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, its alleged sponsorship of terrorism, and its domestic instability.
“Pakistan urges the international community, specifically the United Nations, to note India’s continued rogue behavior and to hold it accountable for failing to uphold UN Security Council resolutions that guarantee the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people,” the Foreign Office declared.
