Tue Mar 18 18:27:56 UTC 2025: ## India Demands Pakistan Vacate Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir
**NEW DELHI, March 18, 2025** – India strongly condemned Pakistan on Tuesday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Pakistani forces from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to Pakistan’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent podcast interview, in which Modi stated that India’s peace initiatives towards Pakistan have been met with hostility and betrayal.
Pakistan had accused India of fomenting terrorism within its borders and of oppression in Jammu and Kashmir. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal countered these claims, stating that Pakistan’s sponsorship of cross-border terrorism is the primary obstacle to regional peace and security. He urged Pakistan to vacate the illegally occupied Indian territory.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar echoed this sentiment at the Raisina Dialogue conference, highlighting the decades-long illegal occupation of Indian territory as a contradiction to Western principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also indirectly criticized Western nations for their willingness to cooperate with Pakistan’s military regimes while condemning similar actions in other countries.
The initial spark for this escalation was Modi’s interview, where he recounted his attempts to improve relations with Pakistan, including inviting then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in 2014. Pakistan’s response dismissed Modi’s statements as misleading and pointed to the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute. This exchange follows recent accusations by Pakistan blaming India and Afghanistan for supporting the Baloch Liberation Army.
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