'Not Proper Kashmiris': How Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s PoK Slur Validates India’s Stance | Exclusive

Published 23 June 2026 · local

'Not Proper Kashmiris': How Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s PoK Slur Validates India’s Stance | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 23, 2026, 17:40 IST

'Not Proper Kashmiris': How Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s PoK Slur Validates India’s Stance | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 23, 2026, 17:40 IST Intelligence sources say Khawaja Asif’s statements are a sensational, self-inflicted blow to Pakistan's international lobbying efforts Khawaja Asif's statement triggered an immediate and volatile backlash on social media networks and on the streets of PoK. (File pic/Reuters) In a major diplomatic and political embarrassment for Islamabad, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has sparked widespread fury by publicly declaring that the residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are “not proper Kashmiris". The remarks, delivered during a period of intense civil unrest across the occupied territories, have effectively stripped away Pakistan’s long-standing geopolitical narrative regarding regional unity. Top Indian intelligence sources state that Asif’s public dismissal of PoK residents validates New Delhi’s historic position that Islamabad’s presence in the region is an artificial, military imposition rather than an organic partnership. The controversy erupted after the Defence Minister argued that the populace of Rawalakot and Mirpur cannot claim a true Kashmiri identity primarily because they converse in the Potohari and Pahari dialects rather than the traditional Kashmiri language.

The statement triggered an immediate and volatile backlash on social media networks and on the streets of PoK, with critics, local leaders, and political opponents accusing the federal government of actively undermining the cultural, regional, and historical identity of populations living under Pakistani administrative control. As Asif blamed New Delhi for the ongoing protests in PoK, India said the allegations were a desperate attempt to divert attention from Islamabad’s own failures and human rights abuses. Intelligence Sources: Minister’s Remarks Validate Indian Stance According to top Indian intelligence and diplomatic strategists, Khawaja Asif’s statements are a sensational, self-inflicted blow to Pakistan’s international lobbying efforts. For over seven decades, Islamabad has attempted to project a singular, homogenised Kashmiri narrative on global platforms to justify its control over the region. However, by weaponising linguistic differences to alienate massive population hubs like Mirpur and Rawalakot, the Pakistani establishment has accidentally admitted that its administration operates as an external political occupier forcing cultural conformity. Indian strategic experts point out that ethnic and regional identity across Jammu and Kashmir cannot be minimised by simple linguistic reductionism.