Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, the self-proclaimed 'prime minister' of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has slammed Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for his recent statement that residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur are 'not proper Kashmiris.'
Rathore responded on X, saying people of Jammu and Kashmir do not need validation of their identity from Asif or anyone else, adding that 'boomers' like Asif are creating divisions instead of bringing people closer.
Asif had reportedly attempted to clarify his remarks, arguing that Kashmiri identity is determined by years of struggle and sacrifice, not birth certificates. However, Rathore asked Asif to apologize for his original remarks instead of scapegoating the governance of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
In an unrelated development, India launched a scathing counter-attack against Asif, characterizing his remarks as a desperate attempt to obscure Pakistan's dismal domestic record and egregious human rights violations.
India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said that Asif's remarks are a direct consequence of Pakistan's decades-long policy of systematic economic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights, and administrative oppression in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation.
