PoK 'PM' hits back at Pakistan defence minister over Kashmiri identity remark

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's 'Prime Minister' Faizal Mumtaz Rathore has sharply rebuked Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif for suggesting that residents of Rawalkot and Mirpur are not 'proper Kashmiris'. Rathore accused Asif of sowing divisions among the people and called on him to apologize instead of deflecting blame onto local governance. The dispute has emerged against a backdrop of widespread unrest in PoK, with residents protesting over rising inflation and ahead of upcoming elections. A joint committee active in the region has also put forward demands for significant political and administrative reforms.