Islamabad: Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan was in a position to give a befitting response to India [in case of any misadventure] adding Abhinandan will be remembered to India.
In an interview to a private news channel the Minister said “People remember what happened to Abhinandan,” referring to the Indian pilot who had been arrested after Pakistan shot down an Indian MiG-21 during Operation Swift Retort in February 2019.
Khawaja said that Pakistan condemns terrorism wherever it occurs in the world and India should investigate the Pahalgam incident as merely levelling allegations won’t absolve them of responsibility.
“India’s allegation against Pakistan for the Pahalgam incident is inappropriate,” said Asif while speaking to a private news channel.
He added that Pakistan is the most affected country by terrorism and has been facing the menace for decades.
He questioned how Pakistan could promote terrorism, being a victim of the threat itself.
“There should be no ambiguity that we strongly condemn terrorism,” the defence minister said; however, he added that a “false flag operation” could not be ruled out.
He also accused New Delhi of sponsoring terrorists in Balochistan and “giving asylum and medical facilities to separatists”.
Asif added that evidence proved India’s connection with the outlawed militant outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The minister further said that several Indian consulates in Afghanistan had been facilitating terrorism in Pakistan.
