NEW DELHI: Debunking Pakistan's claim that India had targeted the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in POK in the May 7 military strikes on terrorist camps and infrastructure, the govt warned Pakistan of serious consequences if it used that "blatant lie" as a pretext for launching an attack on any infrastructure project in India. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri also said it was Pakistan that was responsible for the original escalation in the form of the Pahalgam attack and the choice of de-escalation too was with Pakistan.
With Pakistan looking to inject a communal element into India's actions, Misri hit back by linking the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir's April 16 speech in which he had stressed the two-nation theory and "stark differences between Hindus and Muslims".
"You are aware of the kind of religious profiling that was done there (Pahalgam) and perhaps there is a linkage between these two events. I think that (speech) is the last word in communal rhetoric," he said.
Accusing India of attacking the Neelum-Jhelum project, Pakistan's defence minister Khwaja Asif had said "this is not something we will sweep under the rug". When such a line was crossed, he had said, a response became inevitable.
Misri strongly denied Pakistan's claim, describing it as an absolute fabrication and a blatant lie. "India has targeted only and only terrorist infrastructure, and details of that terrorist infrastructure, together with the locations, were shared yesterday," he said.
"I should note that if this kind of a claim is a pretext for targeting Indian infrastructure of a similar nature, Pakistan will be entirely responsible for the consequences that will undoubtedly follow," he said.
Briefing journalists about developments on the second day of Operation Sindoor , Misri said Pakistan had unleashed a disinformation war against India with its claims Indian govt was responsible for the current escalation and there were no terrorists in Pakistan.
"There are several terrorist attacks around the world where Pakistani fingerprints have been found. I don't need to belabour the point about where Osama bin Laden was found and who called him a martyr," Misri said, adding that Pakistan has for decades pursued cross-border terrorism into India with impunity. He said India would provide more information soon to the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee about UN-proscribed terror group LeT's links with TRF.
On Pakistan's claim only civilians were killed in India's May 7 strikes, Misri displayed a photograph showing senior Pakistan army officers at a funeral and wondered why it was being carried out with coffins draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded. "As far as we are concerned, the individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists. Giving terrorists state funerals may be a practice in Pakistan, but it doesn't seem to make much sense to us," he said.
On Pakistan's claim that several Indian jets had been downed during the op, Misri said India will share information at an appropriate time. "Pakistan has been lying since it was born in 1947," he said.
While Pakistan has accused India of deliberately targeting mosques, Misi said it was Islamabad that was misusing religious sites as a cover to radicalise, direct, indoctrinate and train terrorists. He added it was Pakistan which attacked a gurdwara in Poonch in firing across the LoC, and killed three members of the Sikh community.
Addressing what he described as Pakistan's disinformation on the Indus Waters Treaty, Misri accused Islamabad of acting in violation of the treaty, deliberately creating legal roadblocks in India exercising its legitimate rights on the western rivers. "Any projects that India sought to build on the eastern rivers, and even on the western rivers, which we are allowed to by the treaty, were always challenged by Pakistan, thereby hampering our rights to utilise our legitimate waters under the treaty," he said, adding that Pakistan's persistent refusal to respond to India's request for a modification of the treaty was itself a violation of the treaty.
With Pakistan looking to inject a communal element into India's actions, Misri hit back by linking the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir's April 16 speech in which he had stressed the two-nation theory and "stark differences between Hindus and Muslims".
"You are aware of the kind of religious profiling that was done there (Pahalgam) and perhaps there is a linkage between these two events. I think that (speech) is the last word in communal rhetoric," he said.
Accusing India of attacking the Neelum-Jhelum project, Pakistan's defence minister Khwaja Asif had said "this is not something we will sweep under the rug". When such a line was crossed, he had said, a response became inevitable.
Misri strongly denied Pakistan's claim, describing it as an absolute fabrication and a blatant lie. "India has targeted only and only terrorist infrastructure, and details of that terrorist infrastructure, together with the locations, were shared yesterday," he said.
"I should note that if this kind of a claim is a pretext for targeting Indian infrastructure of a similar nature, Pakistan will be entirely responsible for the consequences that will undoubtedly follow," he said.
Briefing journalists about developments on the second day of Operation Sindoor , Misri said Pakistan had unleashed a disinformation war against India with its claims Indian govt was responsible for the current escalation and there were no terrorists in Pakistan.
"There are several terrorist attacks around the world where Pakistani fingerprints have been found. I don't need to belabour the point about where Osama bin Laden was found and who called him a martyr," Misri said, adding that Pakistan has for decades pursued cross-border terrorism into India with impunity. He said India would provide more information soon to the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee about UN-proscribed terror group LeT's links with TRF.
On Pakistan's claim only civilians were killed in India's May 7 strikes, Misri displayed a photograph showing senior Pakistan army officers at a funeral and wondered why it was being carried out with coffins draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded. "As far as we are concerned, the individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists. Giving terrorists state funerals may be a practice in Pakistan, but it doesn't seem to make much sense to us," he said.
On Pakistan's claim that several Indian jets had been downed during the op, Misri said India will share information at an appropriate time. "Pakistan has been lying since it was born in 1947," he said.
While Pakistan has accused India of deliberately targeting mosques, Misi said it was Islamabad that was misusing religious sites as a cover to radicalise, direct, indoctrinate and train terrorists. He added it was Pakistan which attacked a gurdwara in Poonch in firing across the LoC, and killed three members of the Sikh community.
Addressing what he described as Pakistan's disinformation on the Indus Waters Treaty, Misri accused Islamabad of acting in violation of the treaty, deliberately creating legal roadblocks in India exercising its legitimate rights on the western rivers. "Any projects that India sought to build on the eastern rivers, and even on the western rivers, which we are allowed to by the treaty, were always challenged by Pakistan, thereby hampering our rights to utilise our legitimate waters under the treaty," he said, adding that Pakistan's persistent refusal to respond to India's request for a modification of the treaty was itself a violation of the treaty.
You may also like
Army foils drone attacks by Pakistan; 4 states on high alert: What we know so far
Anxious night in Punjab amid India-Pakistan tensions, blackout in several places
Fact-Check: PIB Debunks False Claims OF Drone Attack In Jalandhar And Strike On Hazira Port - Details
Michael Rubin Says India Victim Of Terror, Urges US To Label Pakistan State Terror Sponsor
Abhishek Bachchan Is Very Underrated In Comedy, Hope More Filmmakers Cast Him: Housefull 5 Director Tarun Mansukhani
