AJK PM seeks increase in military prowess to counter India's evil designs

Pakistan is the only country capable to stop India from its expansionist motives in region, says Raja Farooq Haider

ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider has said that the Kashmir dispute is a nuclear flash point and a possibility of war between Pakistan and India could not be ruled out.

The premier, in a statement issued by his office on Sunday, stressed the need for an immediate increase in military prowess to counter the nefarious designs of India.

“No diplomacy can survive without [military] power and the Pakistan is the only country capable to stop India from its expansionist motives in the region,” he added.

He made the remarks while talking to a delegation of newly elected office bearers of district Bar Association Rawalpindi and High Court Bar Association that called on him at Jammu and Kashmir House in Islamabad.

The statement comes days after the BJP government, despite grappling with the country’s worst slowdown in a decade with falling employment, consumption and investment, bumped its military spending by nearly 6% in its annual budget.

India bumps military budget despite sluggish growth

The military spending increased to $47.418 billion from last year’s $44.744 billion, including $15.58 billion for buying new weapon systems.

The major chunk of the allocation – $6 billion – went to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the back of its heavy committed liability of big ticket projects like Rafale fighter jets, Apache and Chinook helicopters and payments for S-400 missile systems from Russia.

The army got $4.557 billion and the navy got $3.755 billion. The Indian Navy plans to expand its fleet to 175 warships by 2027 from the current 130 warships. Some 50 warships were under construction in shipyards in and outside the country.

The AJK premier, in today's statement, said the RSS ideology is working behind the "satanic brain" of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We are fully aware of the challenges being faced by our beloved country but it is imperative to enhance the military prowess of the country,” Haider maintained.



India despite all its efforts has miserably failed to win loyalties of the Kashmiris, said the AJK PM. “It is high time for us to do whatever we can for our brethren who are the victims of worst state terrorism of Modi-led government in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IO&JK)," he added.

Kashmiris, he said, are rendering matchless sacrifices for their freedom in the occupied region, which was stripped off its autonomy on August 5 last year by the right-wing BJP government.

Haider urged the lawyers' fraternity to play their role in effectively highlighting the Kashmir cause.

“Lawyers' fraternity must feel proud to be in the same profession which was the profession of the founding father of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal,” he added.

"Time is not far when the people of IO&JK would see the dawn of their motherland's freedom."