- Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also condemned Pakistan army chief Gen Asim Munir’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir
By: India Weekly
JAMMU AND KASHMIR’S only relationship with Pakistan is that of Islamabad vacating the illegally occupied part of the union territory, India said on Thursday, strongly condemning Pakistan army chief Gen Asim Munir’s remarks.
In his address at an event in Islamabad on Tuesday (15), Gen Munir described Kashmir as the “jugular vein” of Pakistan and asserted that no one would be able to separate Kashmir from his country.
“How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacating of illegally occupied territories by that country,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
On Pakistan’s attempts to wash its hands off the 26/11 terror accused Tahawwur Rana, Jaiswal said: “Pakistan may try very hard, but its reputation as the epicentre of global terrorism will not diminish.”
“The extradition of Rana serves as a reminder to Pakistan that it needs to bring to justice other perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks whom it continues to shield,” he said.
Rana, 64, was brought to India on April 10 after all hurdles for his extradition were removed by the US.
A Canadian national of Pakistani origin, Rana is now in the custody of Indian investigating agencies.
General Munir remarked on Kashmir while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad.
He also urged the diaspora to preserve the values and vision for which Pakistan was created and share its story with their children.
“You have to tell Pakistan’s story to your children so that they don’t forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,” he said, evoking the two-nation theory propagated by Pakistan’s founder, M A Jinnah.
“Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid there. We are two nations, we are not one nation,” he added.
The general tried to present the case of a country that had a great past and a promising future.
“No matter where you live, remember – your roots lie in a high civilisation, noble ideology, and proud identity,” he said. (PTI)
