PM vows befitting reply to India’s false flag operation

ISLAMABAD    -  Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday once again warned the international community that India will be given a “befitting response” if it was reckless enough to carry out a “false-flag operation” against Pakistan.

In a series of tweets the Prime Minister said as India’s internal problems mount, especially economic recession, growing farmers’ protests and mishandling of COVID 19, it is planning coercive ploy to divert the attention.

The Prime Minister said India would get a befitting response at all levels of the threat if it conducts a false flag operation against Pakistan.

The Prime Minister said in complete violation of international law, India’s deliberate firing at the Line of Control (LoC) on UNMOGIP vehicle shows India’s total disregard for all international norms. He said Pakistan strongly condemns this rogue behaviour.

The Prime Minister said already, in recent year alone, there have been 3000 Indian ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary, by unprovoked firing deliberately targeting civilians. These violations resulted in 276 casualties, of which 92 were women and 68 children.

“I am making absolutely clear to the int 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 & be given a befitting response at all levels of the threat,” the tweet read. “Make no mistake.”

On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking to the press in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi said that India is preparing to launch a “surgical [military] strike” on Pakistani soil and had called for the international community to help de-escalate the situation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Qureshi warned Pakistan would strike back ‘a notch above’ if it was attacked by India. His presser came on the same day that the Indian army “deliberately” fired upon a UN vehicle carrying two military observers on a routine monitoring mission along the restive LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), according to officials. The vehicle was damaged by the firing but the officers remained unhurt.

Later on Friday, the UN confirmed that a UNMOGIP vehicle was damaged after it was hit by an “unidentified object” near Rawalakot. It said the incident was being investigated. On December 18, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said that the Indian Army resorted to unprovoked fire in Chirikot Sector of the LoC, adding that the Indian troops deliberately targeted a UN vehicle with two military observers on board.

According to the ISPR, the UN military observers were en route to Polas village in Chirikot sector to interact with villagers affected by unabated ceasefire violations by India.