'We will surprise you': DG ISPR warns India over war threats

RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor on Friday warned India of retaliation if it chooses to attack Pakistan or opt for any sort of aggression against the country, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference, DG ISPR responded to India’s war threats after the February 14 Pulwama attack by saying that India has this habit of blaming Pakistan after terror attacks in Occupied Kashmir or in its own territory without evidence but if the eastern neighbour tries to initiate war Pakistan’s valiant “forces won’t be surprised but will surprise you (India)”.

“Today, Pakistan’s forces are battle-hardened as they have fought a war (on terror) against an invisible enemy which was a difficult war so a war against a known enemy like India will be easier to fight,” said DG ISPR.

Recalling the history of bilateral relations between two arch-rivals since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the DG mentioned multiple Indian misadventures from time to time on the country’s eastern border.

‘Interrogate your own security forces’

About the February 14 Pulwama attack, the DG ISPR maintained that India has a history of “staging” such attacks before elections and events of international importance.

“Firstly, India has layers and layers of security forces deployed in Occupied Kashmir, secondly the attack happened in Pulwama which is miles away from the Line Of Control, the suicide bomber was a local young man and vehicles, explosives used in the attack too were local so I will advise India that you should interrogate your security forces over their failure to prevent the attack,” said DG ISPR.

He, however, added that Pakistan’s forces and the government took time to respond to Indian allegations to introspect if anyone from Pakistani soil was in anyway behind the attack but have now responded after making sure none from Pakistan was behind the attack.

The military’s spokesman maintained that the unrest in India-Occupied Kashmir is due to the fact that Indian forces have been trying to suppress the freedom movement of the Kashmiri people with force.

The DG ISPR maintained that a large number of people attended the funeral prayers of the suicide bomber Adil Dar which is a testimony to the anger against Indian occupation of the valley.

Major General Ghafoor’s press conference comes at a time when the relations between Pakistan and arch-rival India has severely gone sore in the wake of Pulwama attack in Occupied Kashmir on Feb 14.

It is pertinent to mention here that the National Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Thursday made a categorical assertion that any aggression from India will be responded befittingly.

The meeting categorically rejected Indian allegations on Pulwama attack and said that it was planned and executed at local level in India. “Pakistan has no connection with the attack,” the participants asserted.

PM Khan reiterated that Pakistan would respond strongly to any misadventure by the neighbouring country.