"The whole nation is united to defend the motherland and our army, politicians, youth, and old stand shoulder-to-shoulder to counter any aggression by India," he said while giving a clear message to India that "Pakistan will not be cowed down by its threats and bullish attitude."
The minister said Indian government has issued circulars to employees in Occupied Kashmir, cancelling their leaves and ordering them to make hoardings of stocks and food. India is dispatching additional 10,000 troops to the held valley in anticipation of a bigger crackdown, he said, as a result, Kashmiris are scared and they have shut down their businesses.
Qureshi said a wave of harassing and tormenting Kashmiris has set in and there are reports of Kashmiri people across the country being beaten, their properties set light and intimidated. The Hurriyet leadership has been taken into custody and steps are being taken to deport them from Kashmir, he said, adding that Indian police and security forces are acting as silent spectators and do nothing to stop this harassment campaign against Kashmiris.
Earlier, the minister also chaired a meeting of former foreign secretaries and ambassadors to discuss the situation arising after Pulwama attack in disputed Kashmir wherein over 40 paramilitary troops were killed. The minister said that he wanted to benefit from expertise and experience of the ex-foreign secretaries and envoys to deal with the situation. He also spoke with German Foreign Minister on telephone to discuss the regional situation. He apprised his counterpart that Pakistan has sought evidence from India about Pulwama incident and was willing to extend cooperation in investigating the attack.
In a separate press release, the foreign office said that Supreme Court of India is due to deliberate, shortly, on the petitions calling for scrapping of Article 35A of the Indian Constitution. "Pakistan condemns any such attempts as these are clearly aimed at bringing about demographic changes in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Any move in this direction would be a blatant violation of international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit introducing material changes to the disputed territory," it said.
The evolving situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir is equally a matter of grave concern. Following reprisal attacks against Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and many parts of India after the Pulwama attack, there have been further heavy-handed steps including enhanced use of force, large-scale arrests, and incarceration of senior Kashmiri leaders. The foreign office said the large-scale deployment of additional para-military forces, and orders by the local administration to hospitals and about sale of fuel and food grains, are contributing to an atmosphere of extreme intimidation and fear. Immediate steps are required to reverse this frenzy and restore calm.
The international community should take cognizance of the situation and counsel India to refrain from further escalation, defuse current tensions and resolve issues through dialogue and engagement, the foreign office added.