Pakistan’s army and Foreign Office issued strongly-worded statements on Tuesday to condemn remarks made by Indian Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi calling Pakistan the place of origin for terrorists.

A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said that General Dwivedi’s remarks were “an attempt to deflect the world’s attention from India’s brutality in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”. The statement also added that General Dwivedi had personally overseen extreme brutality against the people of Kashmir when he was posted in IIOJK.

General Dwivedi had claimed on Monday that 60% of militants eliminated by the Indian army in occupied Kashmir had crossed over from Pakistan. He also claimed that a major chunk of the ‘terrorists’ still in Indian-occupied Kashmir were of Pakistani origin.

The general had gone on to call Pakistan an ‘epicentre of terrorism’ in the region.

ISPR said that the army chief’s statement was an attempt to deflect attention from its abuses in Kashmir.

“Insinuating Pakistan as the epi-centre of terrorism by the Indian Army Chief, is not only contrary to facts, but also an exercise in futility to beat the dead horse of India’s default position – blaming Pakistan for Indigenous reaction to state-sponsored brutality,” the statement said.

“Instead of trying to conjure up a non-existent terror infrastructure in Pakistan, it would be wise not to indulge in self-delusion, and appreciate the ground reality.”

The statement also added that a serving officer of the Indian armed forces is currently in Pakistan which is clear evidence of India’s terrorist activities in another country.

ISPR also said that the general’s statement was a demonstration of the fact that the Indian military was relying on political expediency instead of professionalism.

“Empathizing with the victims of Indian Army’s brutality, it is hoped that civility, professionalism, and norms of state-to-state behaviour would guide the conduct of Indian Army’s leadership, rather than pandering to political exigencies,” the statement said.

A statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office also said that India is recognized internationally as a disputed region and the fate of the region must be decided by its inhabitants. It also described India’s claims on the region as completely baseless.