india

Updated: Jul 07, 2020 01:41 IST

India on Friday strongly criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks calling for a jihad against the country and for people to march across the Line of Control (LoC) at his behest, saying the comments did not behove the office held by him.

Recent comments by the leadership of Turkey and Malaysia, especially Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, were also criticised by external affairs ministry spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, who told a weekly news briefing that the remarks were factually incorrect and biased.

Delivering a speech at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 13, Khan had said people should be prepared to march towards the LoC on his call. “Don’t go towards the LoC till I tell you to. I will tell you when to go and you shouldn’t go now,” he told a rally.

The remarks followed an escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan after New Delhi in August moved to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and decided to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories, J&K and Ladakh.

“We condemn such irresponsible and provocative rhetoric in the strongest words. He doesn’t know how international relations are conducted. But the more serious thing is that he made an open call that you march on, and for jihad against India,” said Kumar, speaking in Hindi.

“His open call to cross the border and violate another country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and enter it, this statement does not behove the office he occupies,” he added.

India has repeatedly criticised the Pakistani leadership in the weeks since the August 5 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, accusing Khan and other leaders of war mongering and calling for jihad in Kashmir.

“This is not the first time such a statement has come from Pakistan. The prime minister occupies a high constitutional office and he has made similar statements earlier too. You have heard his statement at the UN General Assembly and he has used quite provocative and irresponsible language,” Kumar said.

“This isn’t normal behaviour and we have repeatedly said Pakistan and its leaders do not behave the way a normal neighbour should. Not that we expect it from them, but sometimes, we do because they are a neighbour,” he said.

Kumar said India had friendly relations with Turkey, and deeply regrets that there have been repeated statements by the Turkish government since August 6 on a matter that “is completely internal to India”.

“These statements are factually incorrect, biased and unwarranted. We call upon the government of Turkey to get a proper understanding of the situation on the ground before they make any further statements on this issue,” he added.

India’s criticism of the remarks by Mahathir — who told the UN General Assembly that Jammu and Kashmir had been “invaded and occupied” and that India’s action in the state was “wrong” — was harsher.

Noting the traditionally good and friendly ties with Malaysia that had been strengthened in recent years, Kumar said: “Therefore, we were quite surprised and we deeply regret that the comment... made by the prime minister of Malaysia...is not based on facts.”

He said Jammu and Kashmir had signed the instrument of accession like other princely states that existed at the time of India’s independence, and it was Pakistan which “invaded and illegally occupied parts” of the state and this had been recognised by the international community.

“The current development in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is a purely internal matter of India and doesn’t involve any third country. The government of Malaysia should bear in mind the friendly relations between our two countries and desist from making such remarks,” he said.

Kumar said there was “no update” on efforts to arrange a second meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national on death row in Pakistan after being convicted of alleged involvement in espionage, and consular officials. The matter is being discussed through diplomatic channels, he said.