Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday warned that Pakistan army and the nation are ready to defend if India resorts to any misadventure in an attempt to divert the world's attention from the ongoing lockdown in occupied Kashmir.
Addressing a joint press conference with Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor following a meeting of the country's top brass on the situation in occupied Kashmir, Qureshi said it was possible India could resort to a misadventure to create diversion.
"India can [resort to] misadventure in its attempt to divert the world's attention away from its actions in occupied Kashmir. The Pakistan army and the nation are ready to defend if India attempts any misadventure," he said.
Sharing details from the special committee meeting held prior to the media talk, which was attended by representatives from various institutions, Qureshi said a special cell on Kashmir would be constituted at the Pakistan Foreign Office, which would be responsible for devising a future course of action on the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir, subject to his approval.
A Kashmir desk would also be established in all Pakistani embassies around the world in light of the ongoing crisis, the foreign minister announced.
He lauded the historic United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held on Friday, which saw the council members urge the parties involved to refrain from any unilateral action that may aggravate the situation.
"We achieved a [milestone] yesterday, which shocked India. The Kashmir issue was raised at a platform which is responsible for resolving the dispute," he said.
Qureshi said the UNSC session was discussed at length during today's meeting, along with the future plan of action that Pakistan would adopt in light of the meeting.
"All the participants [of today's meeting] agreed that Modi has murdered Nehru’s Hindustan. Today, it is not Nehru’s Hindustan. It is Modi’s Hindustan," the minister said.
Lauding the unbroken spirit of the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir, Qureshi noted that despite the curfew, Kashmiris came out of their houses to offer Friday prayers. "It was a glimpse into their emotions, into what it would be like after the curfew lifts," he said.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan, along with various other federal ministers and special advisers to the prime minister, attended the meeting.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said the country’s armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any Indian aggression.
“Pakistan armed forces are ready. Pakistan is fully capable of giving a befitting response to India if India tries any misadventure,” the military’s media spokesperson said during the press conference.
“The armed forces are ready for any action, for any perpetual threat. Whatever is required to be done will be done,” he said, adding that Pakistan could not afford any event that harmed its narrative on Kashmir.
Responding to a question, Major General Ghafoor said, “Kashmir is a nuclear flash point and the world needs to look into the Indian defence minister's remarks about use of nuclear weapons. Responsible states do not talk the way Rajnath Singh did.”
The DG ISPR also thanked social media activists in fighting Indian propaganda over the Kashmir conflict.
The UNSC met behind closed doors at the request of China and Pakistan to discuss the Indian government's recent decision to revoke the special status of occupied Kashmir.
The council took up the issue of the critical situation in occupied Kashmir after more than 50 years since it was last discussed on the platform, effectively rejecting India's stance that occupied Kashmir was an internal issue and not an internationally recognised dispute.
