White House clarifies over inviting Pak Army Chief to US military parade
PTC News Desk: The United States on Sunday clarified that it has not invited Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir to the country's military parade. The parade has been scheduled to mark the 250th anniversary celebrations of the US Armed Forces.
The clarification follows reports that the US had invited General Asim Munir for the military parade which triggered a sharp response from India. The Congress party termed it a "diplomatic setback", especially in light of Operation Sindoor — India's recent precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK).
"It is reported that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir has been invited to the event organised in Washington DC on the occasion of US Army Day (14 June). This news is a big setback for India from a diplomatic and strategic point of view," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
"This is the same person who used provocative and inciting language just before the Pahalgam Terror Attack - the question arises what is America's intention?" the Congress leader asked.
Meanwhile, the BJP rejected these claims and accused Jairam Ramesh of "spreading misinformation" and "casting aspersion" on India's foreign policy.
"Driven by his relentless animosity towards Prime Minister Modi, Jairam Ramesh irresponsibly amplified false claims alleging that Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, was invited to the US parade," BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya posted on X.
- With inputs from agencies
