
India Rubbishes Pakistan Army Chief’s Claim Kashmir is its “Jugular Vein”
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 17: India has rubbished the Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir’s statement that Kashmir was Islamabad’s “jugular vein” and said Pakistan’s “only relationship with Kashmir” was to vacate the illegally occupied territory.
In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Addressing a gathering of Pakistanis based abroad, General Munir had said they were the country’s ambassadors and must not forget that they belong to a “superior ideology and culture.” “You should definitely tell Pakistan’s story to your children. Our forefathers thought that we are different from the Hindus in every aspect of life. Our religions, our customs, traditions, thoughts and ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid,” General Munir said.
Speaking about Kashmir, General Munir said, “Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.” For a country where the army leadership often juggles politics, General Munir’s remarks set the tone for Islamabad’s stand on several issues, especially its approach to relations with India.
The Kashmir comments make it clear the issue remains at the heart of the India-Pakistan conflict and that Islamabad has no plans to soften its stance. The anti-India sentiment in the Pakistani General’s remarks could potentially deepen the hostility between the two countries.
Stressing his point, General Munir said India and Pakistan were two nations. “We are not one nation. That is why our forefathers struggled to create this country. Our forefathers and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country. We know how to defend it. My dear brothers, sisters, daughters and sons, please don’t forget this story of Pakistan. Don’t forget to narrate this story to your next generation so that their bond with Pakistan never weakens,” he said.
General Munir said many fear that Pakistan won’t get investment due to terrorist activity. “Do you think terrorists can take away the destiny of the country? The 1.3 million-strong Indian Army, with all its wherewithal, if they cannot intimidate us, do you think these terrorists can subdue the armed forces of Pakistan?” he said.
The Pakistan Army chief also made it clear that the armed forces would crack down hard on the separatist movements in Balochistan. “Balochistan is Pakistan’s pride, you will just take it away so easily? You won’t be able to take it in 10 generations. Inshallah, we will defeat these terrorists very soon. Pakistan will not fall.”