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The minister had sparked outrage by claiming that residents of Rawalakot were not “true Kashmiris”
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. (IMAGE: REUTERS/FILE)
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has refused to withdraw or apologise for his controversial remarks about residents of Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), insisting that his comments were “absolutely correct” despite mounting criticism.
Speaking amid the controversy, Asif categorically ruled out issuing an apology, saying, “I will not apologise. There were no apologies yesterday, and there will be none today.”
The minister had earlier sparked outrage by reportedly claiming that residents of Rawalakot were not “true Kashmiris” and suggesting that people living in “Indian-occupied Kashmir” enjoyed a higher status than those in other parts of Kashmir. His remarks have triggered sharp reactions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where protests over inflation, high electricity tariffs and political rights have continued for months.
Asif also said that neither former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had contacted him over the controversy, signalling that Pakistan’s top political leadership has so far remained publicly silent on the issue.
His refusal to retract the statement comes as the Pakistani establishment faces growing unrest in PoK over rising living costs, taxation and demands for greater political representation.
According to top intelligence sources, Asif’s remarks are being viewed as a calculated attempt to undermine the ongoing protest movement in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The sources believe that by questioning the ethnic and regional identity of Rawalakot residents, the Pakistani establishment is seeking to delegitimise protesters and shift attention away from their socio-economic grievances.
The intelligence assessment suggests that the strategy is aimed at portraying the demonstrators as lacking a legitimate Kashmiri identity, thereby weakening public support for the movement instead of addressing concerns over inflation, electricity tariffs and governance.
The sources further claim that identity is being used as a political tool to deflect criticism of Islamabad’s handling of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and its systemic governance failures.
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Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Islamabad, Pakistan
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