India issued a strong rebuttal to Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s recent remarks describing Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” firmly rejecting the claim and questioning its logic. Speaking at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a union territory of India.

https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-5761017298734489&output=html&h=400&slotname=1997097661&adk=2958071478&adf=346032647&pi=t.ma~as.1997097661&w=580&abgtt=6&lmt=1744953596&format=580×400&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiandefensenews.in%2F2025%2F04%2Fpak-army-chief-asim-munir-says-kashmir.html&host=ca-host-pub-Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country”. Jaiswal’s comments underscored India’s position that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and that Pakistan’s only link to the region is its obligation to vacate areas it occupies illegally.

General Munir, addressing a gathering of overseas Pakistanis, reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position by calling Kashmir its “jugular vein” and defending the two-nation theory, which asserts foundational differences between Hindus and Muslims as justification for the creation of Pakistan. He urged the Pakistani diaspora to promote this narrative and maintain a sense of cultural and ideological distinctiveness.

India’s response highlights the deep-seated disagreement between the two countries over Kashmir’s status.

While Pakistan continues to raise the issue in international forums and asserts that the region’s final status should be determined in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, India maintains that Kashmir is a domestic matter and opposes any external intervention, insisting that the only outstanding issue is the vacation of territory illegally occupied by Pakistan.

The rhetorical exchange reflects the entrenched positions of both nations. For India, any reference to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” is seen as both factually and symbolically unacceptable, given its sovereignty over the region.

The MEA’s pointed question—how anything foreign could be in a country’s jugular vein—serves to reject not only the metaphor but also the legitimacy of Pakistan’s claim.

This episode further illustrates how Kashmir remains a focal point of national identity and diplomatic contention for both India and Pakistan, with each side leveraging historical, ideological, and legal arguments to assert its stance.