ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has lashed out at theimmature statement of the Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. IndianArmy Chief expressed his willingness to cross border and strike in Pakistanif New Delhi orders so.
Khwaja Asif on Saturday said that India may test Pakistan’s resolve if thatis what it wishes to do.
The foreign minister was responding to a recent statement by the IndianArmy Chief General Bipin Rawat, who, according to Indian media outlets, hadsaid the force was ready to call Pakistan’s ‘nuclear bluff’ and cross theborder to carry out any operation if asked by the government.
“Very irresponsible statement by Indian Army Chief,not befitting hisoffice. Amounts to invitation for nuclear encounter. If that is what theydesire, they are welcome to test our resolve.The general’s doubt wouldswiftly be removed, inshallah,” tweeted Asif.
Spokesperson of the Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal also termed theIndian army chief’s statement as “irresponsible.”
“The threatening and irresponsible statement by the Indian Army Chief todayis representative of a sinister mindset that has taken hold of India.Pakistan has demonstrated deterrence capability,” tweeted Dr Faisal.
The foreign office spokesperson further said that Pakistan is ‘fullycapable of defending itself’.
“We will call the [nuclear] bluff of Pakistan. If we will have to reallyconfront, and a task is given to us, we are not going to say we cannotcross the border because they have nuclear weapons. We will have to calltheir nuclear bluff,” General Rawat had said at a press conference onJanuary 12.
The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) MajorGeneral Asif Ghafoor Saturday earlier today had responded to the Indianarmy chief’s ‘nuclear bluff’ assertion saying that such statements areunbecoming from a person of a responsible stature.
Speaking to the state television’s world service, the Pakistani militaryspokesman had said: “We believe COAS is a very responsible appointment andfour-star is a rank with age-long experience and maturity.”