‘People Of J&K Don’t Need Your Validation’: PoK PM Hits Back At Khawaja Asif, Demands Apology

Published 27 June 2026 · india

‘People Of J&K Don’t Need Your Validation’: PoK PM Hits Back At Khawaja Asif, Demands Apology Reported By, Last Updated: June 27, 2026, 11:06 IST

‘People Of J&K Don’t Need Your Validation’: PoK PM Hits Back At Khawaja Asif, Demands Apology Reported By, Last Updated: June 27, 2026, 11:06 IST PoK PM Faisal Rathore demanded an apology from Pakistan’s defence minister, accusing him of scapegoating the PoK administration after facing backlash over his remarks. Rapid Read Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (Image: AP/File) The political divide between Islamabad and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has widened, with PoK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore launching a stinging attack on Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif over his controversial remarks questioning the Kashmiri identity of people from Rawalakot. In a strongly worded post on X, Rathore said the people of Jammu and Kashmir did not require Asif’s approval or that of anyone else to establish their identity. He also accused the senior Pakistani minister of creating divisions instead of bringing people together. “People of Jammu and Kashmir do not need validation of their identity from Defence Minister of Pakistan or anybody else for that matter. Boomers such as him and their antics are creating divisions instead of bringing people closer," Rathore wrote.

The sharp response came after Asif said during a television interview that residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur in PoK are “not proper Kashmiris". Rawalakot has been at the centre of protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee against the PoK administration and the Pakistani establishment. Local citizens have been staging massive demonstrations against soaring inflation, state-sanctioned human rights abuses, and the systematic denial of fundamental constitutional rights by the Pakistani establishment. Asif subsequently attempted to clarify his remarks, arguing that Kashmiri identity was determined by decades of struggle and sacrifice rather than by birth certificates. He also pointed to alleged governance failures in PoK while defending his position. Rathore, however, accused the defence minister of trying to divert attention from the backlash over his original statement by finding fault with the PoK government. “After noticing backlash on his faux pas, he’s now covering up by finding faults in Jammu and Kashmir’s governance," the PoK prime minister wrote on X. Rejecting Asif’s criticism of his administration, Rathore asked him to consult Pakistan’s senior authorities about the PoK government’s record.

“Sir, ask your higher-ups and they’ll tell you how well we’ve governed," he said. Rathore also demanded a direct apology from Asif, saying the defence minister should address the central controversy rather than use the PoK administration as a scapegoat. “A more dignified act would be to address the elephant in the room and apologize for your original remarks instead of scapegoating our governance," he wrote. The public rebuke by the PoK prime minister marks a significant escalation in the controversy and exposes growing friction between the region’s administration and Pakistan’s federal leadership. Asif’s remarks have also drawn criticism within Pakistan. Speaking in the Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said senior ministers should exercise greater caution while commenting on sensitive national issues. Urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rein in members of his Cabinet, Bilawal said, “Control your ministers," and warned against allowing them to create confusion over Kashmir. He also criticised what he described as the state’s “hybrid regime" approach towards PoK, arguing that political issues should be resolved through political dialogue rather than administrative measures.