Khawaja Asif says Indian Defence Minister's remarks on Kashmir risk interstate conflict

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday strongly rejected the “irresponsible remarks” made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding Kashmir.

In a statement posted on X, Asif said India’s continued attempts to rewrite internationally recognized legal realities through coercive rhetoric cannot alter the facts.

“Such statements reflect a continued attempt to distort internationally recognized legal realities through political rhetoric and coercive posturing. They neither alter the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) nor contribute to regional peace, stability, or meaningful dialogue,” he said.

Pakistan condemns comments of Indian defence minister on Kashmir dispute

.”Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, the final status of which is to be determined in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people,” he emphasised.

He further said that India’s repeated attempts to malign Pakistan lack credibility in light of its own well-documented record of state-sponsored terrorism and criminal activities.

“In fact, India remains the biggest sponsor of terrorism and perpetrator of instability in South Asia, holding the region hostage to its aggressively revisionist designs,” he said.

The defence minister also warned that India’s “irresponsible rhetoric” risks lowering the threshold for interstate conflict in the region.

“Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue, but its resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security is absolute and must never be tested,” he added.

He further stated that Singh’s rhetoric is an attempt to deflect attention from India’s internal turmoil, including increasing unrest and discontent against Modi’s autocratic and divisive style of governance.

His statement came a day after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there would be no dialogue with Islamabad except on Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

According to The Hindu, while addressing the 27th Kargil War commemorations, Singh claimed that AJK is an integral part of India under Pakistan’s control and warned that any attempt to undermine India’s sovereignty would be met with a decisive response from the Indian armed forces.