Glasgow [Scotland], April 23 (ANI): Amjad Ayub Mirza, a political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) currently based in Glasgow, has sharply condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, calling it a direct assault on India's sovereignty.

In a strongly worded statement, Mirza squarely blamed the Pakistan Army and its chief, General Asim Munir, for orchestrating the attack, and described it as a continuation of Pakistan's deep-rooted terror infrastructure.

'The attack that took place in Pehelgam is not only tragic, but it is a direct threat to the sovereignty of India,' Mirza said. 'We, the people of PoJK, strongly condemn this act of terrorism and we blame the Pakistan Army and accuse General Asim Munir for this act of terrorism. The TRF, everyone knows, is a front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Lashkar-e-Taiba is the brainchild of Pakistan Army and ISI.'

Mirza further linked the incident to recent remarks made by the Pakistani army chief. 'Only a few days ago General Asim Munir was threatening genocide over Hindus when he said, 'We are two different nations, we have different destinies - we cannot live together,' while forgetting that there are quarter of a million Hindus living in Pakistan. And then, this attack takes place.'

He added, 'I personally believe that that speech was actually a green signal for this operation - he was asking them to go ahead.'

Expressing deep anguish over the nature of the attack, he said, 'This is very sad. Young people, holiday makers, people on honeymoons were targeted - just because of their religion, just because they were of different faith. This is what Pakistan is actually all about.'

Mirza criticised the ideological conditioning in Pakistan that fuels such violence. 'Unless this problem is solved at the root, and the root cause of this terrorism - so-called 'jihad' is eliminated; they will keep sending infiltrators. They have got millions of young people willing to die in the name of 'jihad' because they have been brainwashed in madrasas, in schools, all over Pakistan.'

He added that hatred is systematically cultivated: 'In the schools, the syllabus has been designed to create hate for India, and the Hindus, and the Christians, Yahud an-Nasara. The television spews hatred, the printed press, print media, they spew venom against India, their columnists and editorials write against India with hate, and their professors, teachers, right from nursery to university level follow this narrative against India and Hindus. Five times a day, the mosques pray for the demise of India.'

Calling for stronger measures beyond bolstering internal security, Mirza said, 'Everywhere you see in Pakistani society, it's all about 'anti-India,' 'anti-Hindu'. Strengthening the security grid is a good thing, but it is not a solution.'

He urged a more assertive approach, concluding, 'The solution lies in fighting this enemy on its home territory, on its home ground, and that is Pakistani occupied Jammu Kashmir, where these training camps are and where these launch pads are. Balakot Strike will not do this time. It has to be something decisive, something that can guarantee that this South Asian subcontinent of India can live in peace and be safe.' (ANI)