New Delhi on Thursday strongly condemned the “highly irresponsible statements made by Pakistani leadership on matters internal to India”. Raveesh Kumar, Spokesman of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that these statements include “references to jihad and to inciting violence in India”.
“This is intended to project an alarmist situation which is far from the reality on the ground. Pakistan needs to understand that the world has seen through their provocative and unsubstantiated rhetoric, which is based on lies and deceit,” said Raveesh Kumar.
The remarks come after Pakistan's Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that a full-blown war with India may start in October or November.
The spokesman said, it is important for Pakistan to start behaving like a normal neighbour. “You don’t push terrorists into a neighbouring country?” he stated.
“We are aware that Pakistan uses terror as state policy and each time we have made them aware of our concerns. We have received info that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists. We demand that Pakistan must act against the terror groups operating on its soil,” said Raveesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the people of his country to “show solidarity with the Kashmir people.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 29, 2019
Ever since New Delhi scrapped Article 370 and 35A, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the armies of both countries have exchanged in heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan, which claims to be stakeholder on Kashmir, came out strongly against the Indian decision and in protest, expelled the Indian envoy to Islamabad, scaled back its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, suspended trade and snapped communication links. Islamabad has also threatened to close its airspace to India.
Kashmir has been a bone of contention between the two countries since they gained freedom from British colonial rule in 1947. Both govern it in parts, but claim it in full. They've also fought two wars over Kashmir.