KARACHI: In his first visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after assuming command, Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned India against any misadventure, saying that such a move would be met with “the full might of our armed forces”.

According to an Inter-Services Public Relations statement, the army chief made the remarks during a visit to frontline troops in Rakhchikri Sector, along the Line of Control (LoC) in AJK.

The COAS said, “We have noticed highly irresponsible statements from Indian leadership on Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir recently.

“Let me make it categorically clear, [that] Pakistan’s armed forces are ever ready, not only to defend every inch of our motherland, but to take the fight back to the enemy, if ever, war is imposed on us,” he emphasised.

“Any misconception resulting into a misadventure will always be met with full might of our armed forces backed by a resilient nation,” he said.

The army chief further said, “Indian state will never be able to achieve her nefarious designs”, adding the world must ensure justice and deliver what is promised to the Kashmiri people as per UN resolutions.

General Munir’s remarks followed statements from India’s Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

In October, Singh said he hoped to have GB as part of India to complete the mission the Modi government began by annexing Indian-held Kashmir in August 2019.

Last week, Dwivedi — the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Indian army’s northern command — commented on Singh’s statement by underscoring that a resolution on the matter already existed in the Indian parliament.

“As far as the Indian Army is concerned, it will carry out any order given by the government of India. We are always ready for it,” a Hindustan Times report had quoted him as saying.

The Foreign Office had already rejected Singh’s statement about GB as ridiculous and said it represented India’s expansionist mindset while the ISPR had denounced Dwivedi’s statement as an “apt manifestation” of the Indian army’s “delusional mindset”.

Earlier, on arrival, Lt Gen Shahid Imtiaz, Corps Commander Rawalpindi, received the COAS.

Gen Munir was briefed on the latest situation along the LoC and operational preparedness of the formation.

He interacted with officers and soldiers, appreciated their high morale, professional competence and combat readiness while performing their duties in challenging conditions, ISPR said.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2022