'Address the elephant in the room': PoK PM asks Khawaja Asif to apologise

A political row has erupted between Pakistan's federal leadership and the administration in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after PoK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore strongly criticised Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif over his remarks questioning the Kashmiri identity of people from Rawalakot and Mirpur.

In a post on social media platform X, Rathore said the people of Jammu and Kashmir did not need anyone's approval to establish their identity.

He accused Asif of creating divisions through his comments and demanded that the defence minister apologise instead of attempting to justify his remarks.

The controversy began after Asif said during a television interview that residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur were "not proper Kashmiris". His remarks triggered criticism and drew fresh attention to growing differences between Islamabad and the PoK leadership.

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Rathore rejects Asif's remarks

Responding to the controversy, Rathore said the people of Jammu and Kashmir did not require validation from Pakistan's defence minister or anyone else.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir do not need validation of their identity from Defence Minister of Pakistan or anybody else for that matter," Rathore said, adding that such statements only deepen divisions instead of promoting unity.

After Asif later attempted to clarify his remarks, Rathore accused him of trying to shift attention away from the original controversy by criticising the PoK government's performance.

"After noticing backlash on his faux pas, he's now covering up by finding faults in Jammu and Kashmir's governance," Rathore said.

Rejecting the criticism, the PoK PM defended his administration and urged Asif to seek feedback from Pakistan's senior leadership about the government's work.

Asif stands by his position

Following the backlash, Asif argued that Kashmiri identity was shaped by decades of struggle and sacrifice rather than by birthplace or official documents. He also pointed to what he described as governance shortcomings in PoK while defending his original statement.

However, the defence minister refused to withdraw his comments.

"I will not apologise. There were no apologies yesterday, and there will be none today," Asif said, maintaining that he stood by his position.

Criticism from within Pakistan

The controversy has also drawn criticism from leaders within Pakistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure that Cabinet ministers exercise greater caution while speaking on sensitive national issues. Speaking in the National Assembly, Bilawal warned that such remarks could create confusion over Pakistan's position on Kashmir.

He also criticised what he described as the state's "hybrid regime" approach towards PoK and argued that political issues should be addressed through dialogue rather than administrative measures.

The dispute comes at a time when Rawalakot has witnessed repeated protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee. Protesters have raised concerns over rising inflation, alleged human rights violations and the denial of constitutional rights by the Pakistani establishment.