Pakistani army to go to 'any extent' over Kashmir

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan Army on Tuesday said it would go to "any extent" to fulfill its obligations over India's controversial move to scrap the special provision granted to the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end. We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfill our obligations in this regard," Pakistan's army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa said while presiding over an emergency corps commander meeting.

The meeting was held at the army headquarters generally known as General Head Quarters (GHQ) on single point agenda of situation regarding Kashmir, said a statement of army's media wing.

The meeting fully supported the government’s rejection of Indian actions regarding Kashmir, the statement said, and added: "Pakistan never recognized the 'sham' Indian efforts to legalize its occupation of Jammu and Kashmir decades ago; efforts which have now been revoked by India itself".

Pakistan on Monday condemned and rejected the Indian government decision to revoke the special status granted to the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Since 1947, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed special provisions to enact its own laws. The provision also protected its citizenship law that disallowed outsiders to settle and own land in the territory.

The Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.