The Pakistani army will go "to any extent" to support people living in the Kashmir region after India revoked its special status, Pakistan's army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, said on Tuesday as quoted by Reuters.
"Pakistan Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end," General Qamar Javed Bajwa said after meeting with top commanders in Rawalpindi. "We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfil our obligations in this regard," he added, without elaborating further.
On 5 August India revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that granted a special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and submitted legislation to parliament to divide the state into two federally administered territories. Pakistan said that India's move could not be allowed to change the status of the territory which is preserved according to UN Security Council's resolutions.
Kashmir has remained a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since they gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the region in full while controlling parts of it. The special autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir allowed it to make its own laws. It also banned people from outside the state from gaining access to government posts.