India, June 27 -- Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, the "prime minister" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on Friday slammed Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif for giving unsolicited validation to people of the region of their identity.

The remarks on X came reportedly in response to Asif's recent statement in a television interview that residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur of PoK are "not proper Kashmiris".

HT could not independently verify the reported remarks by Khawaja Asif.

People of Jammu and Kashmir do not need validation of their identity from defence minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif or anybody else for that matter, said Rathore in response to Asif, adding that "boomers such as him and their antics are creating divisions instead of br...