Indian Statements Against Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan Rejected: Interior Minister Shams Lone and Faizullah Faraq’s Strong Response
Islamabad: Gilgit-Baltistan’s Interior Minister Shams Lone and government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq have strongly rejected the recent statements by Indian Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, calling them propaganda.
During a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, they asserted that Gilgit-Baltistan became an integral part of Pakistan 77 years ago, based on ideological grounds, after its people rejected Indian rule and secured their freedom.
Shams Lone stated, “The people of Gilgit-Baltistan reluctantly tolerate the word ‘disputed.’ In the context of the Kashmir conflict, it is a technical issue, but calling us ‘disputed’ is tantamount to insulting our sacrifices.”
Faizullah Faraq described the Indian leadership’s remarks as “childish and shameful,” adding that India relies on baseless statements to cover its internal failures and atrocities against Kashmiris. He further said, “India’s vile face has been exposed to the world. In occupied Kashmir, millions of Kashmiris live under the shadow of Indian oppression, where every day brings new atrocities and bloodshed.”
He referred to Gilgit-Baltistan as the “land of martyrs” and said that thousands of graves in the region bear the Pakistani flag. “Figures like Major Wahab and Shaheed Lalak Jan are symbols of the region’s pride and loyalty to Pakistan. The people here consider even mentioning India as offensive.”
During the press conference, they emphasized that the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir is at its peak, and the Kashmiri people refuse to accept Indian domination. The Indian leadership’s panicked reactions are no less than a joke, reflecting the hollowness of their stance.
“India must remember that even 800,000 soldiers cannot suppress the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom, and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan will always stand with Pakistan,” Shams Lone declared firmly.
