Pakistan has strongly condemned recent statements of India’s defence minister, saying New Delhi was distorting the internationally accepted position of Jammu and Kashmir and any aggressive move would be met with stiff resistance.

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) on Monday strongly condemned comments by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, calling them "provocative" and "irresponsible" in a sharply worded statement. The FO argued that the remarks misrepresented the long-standing Kashmir dispute, which Pakistan maintains remains an internationally recognised issue under the United Nations Security Council’s agenda.

The Foreign Office said the Indian minister’s statements reflected what it called New Delhi’s policy of escalating tensions rather than promoting regional stability. According to it, such rhetoric is meant to divert global attention from the situation in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, and ignores wider issues related to regional security.

FO reiterated Pakistan’s stance and warned India “should not underestimate” the resolve of the Pakistani government and people to respond any act of aggression. It cited the country’s armed forces and national resolve as proof of Pakistan’s preparedness to defend its sovereignty against what it called “Indian adventurism.”

The statement further appealed to the international community, especially the United Nations, to take notice of India’s actions and ensure that they are in conformity with the relevant resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council. Pakistan reiterated its long-standing position that these resolutions recognise the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

This comes a day after Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also rejected Rajnath Singh’s comments. Asif said in a post on X that India’s statements could neither change the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir nor alter existing legal realities. He accused New Delhi of trying to influence world opinion through political campaigning and coercive language.

The renewed war of words underscores the persistent tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with Kashmir continuing to remain one of the region’s most sensitive and unresolved disputes.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)