Muzaffarabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday warned India against any "misadventure" in Pakistan, saying a "miscalculation" on the part of New Delhi would elicit a "tit-for-tat" response from Islamabad, amid heightening tensions between the two neighbours over scrapping of Article 370.
Addressing a special session of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’s Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad -- as Pakistan marked its Independence Day "in solidarity with Kashmiris" -- Khan said: "The Pakistan Army has full knowledge that India has made a plan to take action in AJK (Pak Occupied Kashmir)."
"Like the action they took in Balakot after Pulwama, according to our information, they have more sinister plans now. To shift the world's focus away from occupied Kashmir, they want to take action in AJK (POK).
"The cricketer-turned-politician in a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "... you take action and every brick will be countered with a stone.
The Pakistan Army is battle-hardened and it is fully ready to respond to any violation by India. The entire nation is ready and stands alongside its armed forces.
"A Muslim never initiates war. We are ready to respond to any (misadventure) by India. Kashmiris are also battle-hardened and they have no fear. We will respond to whatever you do -- we will go till the end," he said in the address.
Calling India's move on Kashmir a "strategic blunder", the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said: It will cost Modi and his BJP government heavily. I consider it a big miscalculation by Modi.
He has played his final card." He said it was a challenging task to draw the attention of world leaders to the "human rights violations in occupied Kashmir."
"But now, the Kashmir issue is under the spotlight of (world media). By (clamping down further) on occupied Kashmir, Modi has in fact helped internationalise the dispute," Khan said.
"If a war breaks out, I'm saying this to the UN, you'll be responsible... This is now UN's trial. The entire Muslim world is looking at the UN (to play its role).
"The UN must listen to 1.5 billion Muslims who are looking up to the global body for taking action against India which has turned IOK (POK) into a prison for 10 million Kashmiris."
"It is now up to Pakistan to highlight the issue. I'll become the voice for Kashmir. I will now be the ambassador for the Kashmir issue around the world. I will take it up at every forum," Khan said.
In his Independence Day message, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said "there can never be a compromise on #Kashmir". India's Independence Day on Thursday will be observed as "Black Day" across Pakistan.
