Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar has questioned India’s account of a recent encounter in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Tarar said the appearance of former Pakistan Army soldier Muhammad Asif before the media challenged Indian claims about the person reportedly killed.
He made the remarks after a press conference by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
What Did Atta Tarar Say About the Encounter?
Tarar said Muhammad Asif was alive and well after Indian authorities had reportedly identified a slain militant by the same name.
He questioned the identity of the person killed during the reported operation.
The minister asked which innocent Kashmiri was actually killed if the person identified as Asif was alive.
In a post uploaded on X on Friday, Tarar described India’s reported identification of the body as a serious embarrassment.
He also demanded an explanation from the Indian Army over the incident.
Tarar said India must answer whose life was taken in what Pakistan has described as a staged encounter.
Muhammad Asif Appears Before the Media
The issue gained attention after Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry presented Muhammad Asif during a press conference on Thursday.
The appearance directly challenged Indian claims that a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant had been killed during an operation.
Indian authorities had identified the alleged militant as Muhammad Asif, also known as Hashim Moosa.
However, the man presented by the Pakistani military said he was alive and living with his family.
He also said he had retired from the Pakistan Army in 2023.
The Pakistani military has therefore questioned whether the person killed in the operation was correctly identified.
What Happened During the Reported Operation?
According to the timeline presented by the DG ISPR, the incident began on September 29.
Indian Army, police and Central Reserve Police Force units reportedly launched an operation in the Korag area of Yousmarg.
Indian authorities later announced that a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant had been killed.
They subsequently identified the slain person as Muhammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa.
Indian government bodies and media outlets also circulated claims linking the alleged militant to the Pakistan Army and its Special Services Group.
The Indian Army said security forces recovered the body during a search operation following the encounter.
Pakistan Challenges the Identification
The presentation of the living Muhammad Asif has become the central part of Pakistan’s response.
Pakistan’s military says the man shown at the press conference was wrongly identified as the militant reportedly killed.
As a result, officials have questioned the account surrounding the slain individual’s identity.
Indian reports, meanwhile, described the deceased as a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander.
The reports also linked the alleged militant to Pakistan and the former soldier Muhammad Asif.
However, the Pakistani military has rejected that identification and presented Asif alive before the media.
India’s Claim and Pakistan’s Response
Indian authorities have maintained that a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was killed during the operation. Indian media reports identified the deceased as Muhammad Asif alias Hashim Moosa.
Pakistan has disputed that identification since the retired soldier appeared publicly. The two accounts therefore differ over the identity of the person killed during the operation.
The Pakistani military has described the episode as a false-flag operation, while Indian authorities have presented it as an anti-militant operation.
For now, Muhammad Asif’s appearance alive remains the key point in Pakistan’s challenge to India’s account.
Tarar has used that development to demand answers about the identity of the person killed during the reported encounter.
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