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Indian allegations

Editorial Board
Saturday, Jan 18, 2025

The recent incendiary remarks by the Indian army chief labelling Pakistan as an “epicentre of terrorism” and claiming that 80 per cent of terrorists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are Pakistanis have been met with swift and stern rebuttals from Pakistan’s Foreign Office and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The statements by the Indian army chief, steeped in duplicity, are part of India’s long-standing tactic of deflecting attention from its own oppressive actions in IIOJK and its growing notoriety for state-sponsored terrorism beyond its borders. The ISPR has aptly described such statements as “exercises in futility”, aimed at perpetuating India’s default narrative of blaming Pakistan for the indigenous resistance in IIOJK. The FO, on the other hand, has reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, over which India’s claims have no legal or moral standing.

India’s baseless accusations appear increasingly desperate, particularly as its global image is tarnished by its own actions. The assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and a failed plot to eliminate another Sikh separatist in the US have laid bare India’s involvement in extraterritorial state-sponsored terrorism. Western media outlets have further substantiated India’s cross-border terror activities, including its orchestrated assassinations within Pakistan. India’s propaganda machinery has long relied on exploiting its geopolitical alignment with the West, particularly as an ally in countering China. This alignment has often shielded India from the repercussions of its actions. However, it seems the veneer is beginning to crack. The Modi government’s revocation of Article 370 in 2019 and its subsequent brutal treatment of the Kashmiri population have been well-documented by international human rights organisations.

Now, the global community must not turn a blind eye to these atrocities. The Modi regime’s policies have earned it infamy as one of the most oppressive governments in modern history and India’s attempts to divert attention from its domestic and international transgressions by pointing fingers at Pakistan no longer hold water. Pakistan’s measured responses and restraint in the face of such provocations highlight a stark contrast in diplomatic maturity. While India’s actions, both within and beyond its borders, continue to reveal its hegemonic ambitions, Pakistan remains committed to advocating for justice for the Kashmiri people. The West needs to reconsider its indulgence of India’s transgressions; short-term geopolitical interests should not override fundamental principles of human rights and international law. The global community must come together to end the madness unleashed by the Modi regime and support the people of Occupied Kashmir.