ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned the "irresponsible and gratuitous" remarks of Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) accusing Pakistan for "unabated proxy" war in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

"We strongly condemn Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat's irresponsible and gratuitous remarks about Pakistan. The Indian CDS's unabated anti-Pakistan vitriol is reflective both of his completely flawed understanding of Pakistan's realities as well as his patently politicized approach," Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez said, while reacting to the comments by the top Indian general.

He also advised Gen Rawat to focus on his professional domain, rather than continuing to make a career out of anti-Pakistan rhetoric. "His [Rawat] tirade is also illustrative of the RSS-BJP mindset - a dangerous mix of extremist "Hindutva" ideology and expansionist "Akhand Bharat" designs. It is a sad fact that this mindset has permeated the state institutions of India, including the armed forces," he said. He further stated that the Indian CDS's diatribe against Pakistan could not divert attention from India's myriad internal and external wrong-doings.

"As a consequence of the "Hindutva" policies, religious places in India are regularly desecrated, mob lynchings take place with state complicity, and persecution of minorities and disadvantaged segments grows by the day. Most notably, state-terrorism against innocent Kashmiris in IIOJK is pursued by India as an instrument of state policy," he added.

Indian media reported that Gen Rawat, in his comments, had also stated that a full-scale conflict with China was unlikely, besides claiming that India had sent a "strong message" to Pakistan through the so-called "surgical strikes", which Pakistan had repeatedly denied as false claims.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020