General Syed Asim Munir emphasised that his country will continue to provide ‘moral, political, diplomatic support’ for Kashmir and Kashmiris

Pakistan’s army chief General Syed Asim Munir has spoken up on the “Kashmir issue” again. While recalling the 2019 India-Pakistan situation, he emphasised that his country will continue to provide “moral, political, diplomatic support” for Kashmir and Kashmiris.

The “Indian occupation is illegal”, he said and added that the silence of the world over Kashmir is deafening.

Top Indian government sources said the remarks were important, not because the Pakistan army chief was speaking on Kashmir, but because he was speaking in the middle of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“After the West, Pakistan is trying to take up the Kashmir issue and he knows in this democratic electoral process, Kashmir is also participating,” said an official. “Kashmiris know where to go and such speeches will not impact India.”

At the Iran-Pakistan summit last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran in his media statement for “raising your voice for Kashmir”.

Pakistan and Iran agreed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through “peaceful means based on the will of the people” of the region, said a joint statement issued by the two countries after Raisi’s maiden visit on April 24.

(With Agency Inputs)