PM Imran condemns India’s ‘rogue behaviour’

Warns that New Delhi might resort to a false flag operation to divert attention away from its crises

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned Indian troops’ attack on a vehicle of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at the Line of Control (LoC) and said that India has no regard for international norms, laws and the United Nations.

“In complete violation of international law, India's deliberate firing at the LoC on the UNMOGIP vehicle, despite clear UN markings and flying blue UN flag, shows India's total disregard for all international norms of acceptable state behaviour and respect for international law and the UN,” PM Imran said on Sunday in a series of posts on micro-blogging site Twitter.

“Pakistan strongly condemns this rogue behaviour,” he added.

On Dec 18, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the Indian Army resorted to unprovoked fire in Chirikot Sector of the LoC and deliberately targeted a UN vehicle with two military observers on board.

According to the military’s media wing, the UN military observers were en route to Polas village in Chirikot sector to interact with villagers affected by unabated ceasefire violations by India. The UN on Saturday confirmed the incident and said that it was probing into it.

Imran Khan also highlighted the surge in Indian aggression against Pakistan and ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary.

He warned the world community that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government will make an attempt to divert attention away from India’s domestic crises by conducting a false flag operation against Pakistan.

“I want to again warn the world community, as India's internal problems mount, especially economic recession, growing farmers’ protests and mishandling of Covid-19, the Modi government will divert [attention away] from the internal mess by conducting a false flag operation against Pakistan.”

Backing his statement about the surge in Indian aggression against Pakistan with numbers, PM Imran revealed that India’s unprovoked firing at the LoC and Working Boundary left 276 people, including 92 women and 68 children, dead in the last one year.

“Already, in 2020 alone, there have been 3,000 Indian ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary, by unprovoked firing deliberately targeting civilians – resulting in 276 casualties, of which 92 were women and 68 children,” his tweet read.

The prime minister made it clear to the international community that if India conducts any false flag operation, Pakistan will not tolerate and a misadventure will invite a matching response.

 “I am making absolutely clear to the international community that if India was to be reckless enough to conduct a false flag operation against Pakistan, it would confront a strong national Pakistani resolve and be given a befitting response at all levels of the threat. Make no mistake,” he added.

Speaking to the press in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said India is preparing to launch a “surgical [military] strike” on Pakistani soil.

Qureshi called on the international community to help de-escalate the situation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. He warned that Pakistan would strike back “a notch above” if it was attacked by its eastern neighbour.