Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday warned that the armed forces of his country were ready to give a “befitting response” to any misadventure by the Indian side, The Express Tribune reported.

The former military ruler said Kashmir is in the blood of Pakistani nation. He said this while addressing party workers in Islamabad on All Pakistan Muslim League’s founding day via telephone from Dubai.

The remarks came in response to India’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in August. Pakistan has fought three wars with India for Kashmir since Independence.

“We will continue to stand by our Kashmiri brethren no matter what,” Musharraf was quoted as saying by the newspaper. He also criticised the politicians and chiefs of armed forces in India for increasing the hostilities between two nuclear-armed neighbours with their “irresponsible statements”.

Musharraf also referred to the Kargil war in 1999, and claimed that India had to seek help from United States to end the conflict. “Perhaps, the Indian army has forgotten the Kargil war,” he said, according to PTI.

He added that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be taken as a “weakness” by India.

Musharraf has been living in Dubai since 2016. He was indicted in March 2014 on charges of treason. A special court declared him a proclaimed absconder in May 2016, two months after he left the country for Dubai. A conviction for high treason carries death penalty or life imprisonment.

Some reports said he has joined politics last week.

India’s decision to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir has caused outrage among the Pakistani leadership, which responded by suspending trade relations, downgrading diplomatic ties, and writing letters to the United Nations in an effort to internationalise the matter. India, however, has resisted attempts to discuss Kashmir at global platforms, calling it an internal matter.

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