Pakistan condemns Indian defence minister’s ‘provocative’ remarks on crossing LoC

Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the “provocative remarks” made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh “boasting readiness to cross the Line of Control (LoC)” and counselled India to “exercise utmost caution”.

Earlier today, The Times of India reported that while addressing a Kargil War Memorial in Ladakh, Singh said: “India is a peace-loving nation which believes in its centuries-old values and is committed towards international laws, but to safeguard our interests, we will not hesitate in crossing the LoC.”

He further said that India would go to any “extreme” to maintain its honour and dignity, “if that includes crossing the LoC, we are ready to do that. If we are provoked and if the need arises, we will cross the LoC.”

Condemning Singh’s remarks in a press release issued later in the day, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said India’s “belligerent rhetoric is a threat to the regional peace and stability and contributes to destabilising the strategic environment in South Asia”.

She highlighted that this was not “the first time that India’s political leaders and senior military officers have made highly irresponsible remarks about Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan”, saying that such “jingoistic statements” must stop.

“The Indian leadership is reminded that Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against any aggression.

“The practice of dragging Pakistan into India’s populist public discourse, with a view to stoking hyper-nationalism and reaping electoral gains, needs to end,” the FO statement said.

It added that “everything from history to law and from morality to the situation on the ground belies India’s claims about Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internationally-recognised disputed territory.”

The FO spokesperson noted that India would be “well-advised” to faithfully implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the disputed territory rather than “entertaining any notions of grandeur”.

The Line of Control

In February 2021, both countries had recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire arrangement at the LoC and agreed to address the “core issues” that could undermine peace and stability.

The surprise announcement had been made in a joint statement by the militaries of the two countries on a “hotline contact” between their director generals military operations (DGMOs).

Hotline contact is one of the oldest military confidence-building measures between Pakistan and India. The hotline contact was originally established in 1971, but its use followed ups and downs in the relations.

Pakistan and India had in November 2003 agreed to cease fire along the LoC and the Working Boundary. The agreement held for a few years, but regular violations have occurred since 2008.

A sharp spike in truce breaches had been witnessed since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India. In 2020, the Indian troops committed over 3,000 ceasefire violations in which 28 people were martyred.

In February 2019, both countries came close to a significant confrontation when Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian planes that had violated Pakistani airspace.

One of the Indian pilots was captured by Pakistan but was later handed over as a gesture of peace.

Recently, violations from the Indian side have begun again with incidents in May and June.

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