Islamabad (HRNW)- Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has questioned India’s account of a recent encounter in Kashmir after Pakistani authorities presented Muhammad Asif, the man Indian reports had identified as a militant killed during the operation, alive before the media.
In a statement on social media, Tarar referred to a press conference by DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who presented Asif publicly in Rawalpindi on October 1. Asif said he was alive and had been at his home after reports of his alleged death began circulating.
Tarar asked that if Muhammad Asif is alive, Indian authorities should explain the identity of the person whose body was reported as that of the militant. He accused the Indian Army of presenting the identity of an innocent Kashmiri as Asif and called for clarification over the incident.
Indian media and security authorities, however, have maintained a different account, reporting that a militant identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa was killed in an overnight encounter in Budgam. Indian reports described him as a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, while Pakistani authorities have rejected the identification.
The conflicting accounts have emerged amid continuing tensions between Pakistan and India over security incidents in Kashmir. The dispute over the identity of the person killed remains contested, with both sides presenting differing versions of events.
Support HRNW’s independent journalism and humanitarian reporting.
Donate now: www.hrnww.com/?page_id=1083
