Pakistan never talk about war, India always speaks of war with Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: Major General Asif Ghafoor, the spokesman for Pakistani military, said on Wednesday that it was India who always spoke of wars, while Pakistan talked about peace.

Major General Ghafoor, director general (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said so during his interview with a private news channel on Wednesday.

“India always opted for an escape route from [bilateral] talks,” he said, noting that problems would not be resolved by issuing threats of a war.

The DG ISPR, however, criticised New Delhi for its boasts of having conducted so-called ‘surgical strikes’ inside Pakistan.

“India has not yet given proofs of the ‘surgical strikes’ to its people,” he said. “We want to tell them that ‘surgical strikes’ are not conducted through mere brags.”

In September 2016, India claimed to have conducted surgical strikes in Azad Kashmir, saying that several terrorists were killed in the military action conducted inside Pakistani territory.

The claims were not only rebuffed by Pakistan and the international media, but they also prompted demands from some Indian politicians for New Delhi to substantiate them with evidence.

Major General Ghafoor said the new war is for progress, against ignorance, and for health, education and employment.

Asked about on-duty Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav who has been held by Pakistan, he said the International Court of Justice was to conduct a hearing of the case in some time.

The Pakistani military spokesman said that Jadhav’s mercy plea was pending with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Commander Jadhav — an Indian navy officer working for Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan after he entered into Pakistan from Iran.

Jadhav was tried in a military court which sentenced him to death for espionage and subversive activities.

Speaking of military courts in the country, the DG ISPR said it would be the government’s call if these courts were still required in the country.

Commenting on elections in the country, Major General Ghafoor said polls are a national activity that does bring a change and the military has nothing to do with it.

He, however, maintained that Pakistan would only prosper in the presence of democracy and political stability.

Speaking about situation in Afghanistan, the DG ISPR said Pakistan wants development to continue in Afghanistan after United States’ pull-out from there.

“If there would be peace in Afghanistan, then Pakistan would also be peaceful,” he said.