(Reuters) – Pakistan’s recent army chief on Saturday said the military was able to defend “every inch of our motherland” if attacked, during a visit to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Kashmir region, which is claimed by each Pakistan and neighbouring India.
The visit got here lower than every week since General Asim Munir took charge of Pakistan’s powerful military, and were amongst his strongest public statements on arch-rival India since taking over the role.
“Let me make it categorically clear, Pakistan’s armed forces are ever ready, not only to defend every inch of our motherland, but to take the fight back to the enemy if ever war is imposed on us,” he said, based on an announcement from the military’s media wing. “Indian state won’t ever give you the chance to realize her nefarious designs.”
India’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately reply to Reuters’ request for comment.
The 2 South Asian nuclear powers each claim the Kashmir region in full, but rule only parts, and have fought two of their three wars over the world.
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Each side often accuse one another of breaching a 2003 ceasefire pact by shelling and firing across the LoC, a 740-km (460-mile) de facto border that cuts Kashmir into two.
Since early 2021, the LoC has been mostly quiet, following the renewal of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s generals retain a powerful influence over security matters and foreign affairs, based on analysts, and Pakistan’s army chief will play a key role in managing risks of conflict with India on its eastern border, while also coping with potential friction with Afghanistan on its western frontier.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Ros Russell)
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