Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday said India went all out to stop United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consultative meeting on Kashmir but failed, while Pakistan achieved a milestone in its history. "Yesterday, we achieved a milestone which has shocked Hindustan," Qureshi said during a joint press conference with Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor after chairing a meeting of high-powered committee on Kashmir formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan, Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Fakhar Imam, PM's Special Assistant on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chairman Senate Standing on Foreign Affairs Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, and DG Military Operations (MO) Major General Nauman Zakria, among other senior officials, attended the committee's huddle.
"The Kashmir issue has been raised at the highest forum. It was a very encouraging development, a very productive session at the UNSC. It is a humiliating defeat for Hindustan at all levels and belies its stance on Kashmir," the foreign minister said.
"Narendra Modi's extremist government has buried the Hindustan of (Jawaharlal) Nehru. Today's Hindustan is not the Hindustan of Nehru. It's Modi's Hindustan."
Qureshi said Modi government's extremist ideology is based on 'Doval Doctrine' whose 'three main characters' are India's PM Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He said the high-powered committee on Kashmir has been mandated by the PM to hold consultations and devise a plan of action keeping in view the existing situation in Kashmir including the measures to highlight human rights issues, engagement with international media and formulation of future strategy.
The committee, he said, has the representation of all the institutions and important opposition parties, which shows the nation's united stand on Kashmir.
"We have already handed a crushing defeat to India at the UN. We are now working on the way forward," Qureshi said.
The committee has decided to establish a Kashmir Cell in the Foreign Office and identify key capitals of the countries across the globe to set up Kashmir Desks in the Pakistan's diplomatic missions located in these capitals, according to the minister.
"The situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir is extremely tense. The world needs to be sensitised on it and we are doing that. There has been a curfew for the last two weeks (in Indian-occupied Kashmir) but the way thousands of people defied the curfew and offered Friday prayers reflects the charged sentiment of the public. India has no other option but to lift the curfew and restrictions imposed on the residents of the occupied valley," said Qureshi.
The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other organisations have demanded India lift curfew in the IOK, he said.
To a query, Qureshi said the high-powered committee on Kashmir has deliberated on all options to highlight Kashmir issue including the option to go to International Court of Justice (ICJ).
To another query regarding repeal of Article 370 by Indian Parliament on August 5 to deprive the IOK of special status and autonomy it enjoyed over the decades, the foreign minister said "For us, Article 370 is not important at all. It has no value. It would be important for them (India) but not for us. We have never been concerned about Article 370. It's the demographic change in IOK and [possible] genocide of people there that we are extremely concerned about," he added.
On Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement on Friday last in which he hinted that India might change its no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons, in an implied yet obvious threat to Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, "When one is out of his mind, he does what India did on August 5 and says what Indian defence minister said on Friday."
He expressed concern over India's reported plans to carry out a false flag operation in the IOK in a bid to divert the international attention from worsening situation in the occupied valley.
He further said, "If India is going for any misadventure (in Pakistan or AJK), we are ready to take them on."
Speaking on the occasion, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said violence would possibly increase in the IOK after lifting of curfew. "Once this artificial cover is removed, the situation would deteriorate," he said.
Ghafoor said Pakistan Army troops have been positioned at the Line of Control (LoC) to offer a strong response to India in case of any misadventure.
On the reports of false flag operation by India, he said any such move would be India's complete failure. "After making such a large-scale and massive military deployment in the occupied valley and imposing complete restrictions on the people, if anything happens there, it would be complete failure of the Indian forces."
He also dismissed any possibility of infiltration from Pakistan or AJK to IOK that has been heavily militarised.
When asked to comment on the Indian defence minister's statement about change in no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons, the DG ISPR said, "No sane country talks about its strategic capability. No responsible state that has nuclear weapons behaves in such an irresponsible manner. But it is a reality. There are two nuclear armed countries. If the tension escalates and things can head to that point-the world needs to look at it what would be the repercussions. The world needs to think about it. We are a responsible country and don't wish to even talk about it."
On the reports suggesting the possibility of misadventure by India in Pakistan's territory or AJK, Ghafoor said, "Our capability is good enough to take care of any threat and you have seen it on February 27 (when two Indian jets were downed by Pakistan Air Force). Should they (India) feel like testing our resolve again, they are most welcome-if the situation gets to that point, we would go to any extent to safeguard our territory and do whatever is required to be done."
The DG ISPR said the social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter that support Kashmir are being blocked. "We are in contact with the relevant ministry to take up this matter," he added.
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