Claim
Pakistan's defence minister has condemned the protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying they are not real Kashmiris.
“सबसे ताजा बात यह है कि पाकिस्तान के रक्षा मंत्री ने इन प्रदर्शनकारियों की निंदा करते हुए कहा है कि वे असली कश्मीरी नहीं हैं।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
Multiple Indian outlets (June 27, 2026, before the June 30 broadcast) confirm Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said PoK residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur are 'not proper Kashmiris,' a remark condemned by Pakistan's own Human Rights Council and PoK leaders. The remark was made amid the ongoing PoK protests, so the anchor's substance — that the minister said protesting PoK residents are not real Kashmiris — is correct. The one imprecision is that Asif's remark targeted the wider population's linguistic/ethnic identity (Potohari/Pahari speakers) rather than being an explicit condemnation of 'the protesters' as such; hence high but not full confidence.
Evidence
- https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1780930.html Reports that on June 27, 2026 Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a TV interview that PoK residents of Rawalakot and Mirpur are 'not proper Kashmiris'; Pakistan's Human Rights Council condemned the remark. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.news9live.com/world/youre-not-kashmiris-pakistan-defence-ministers-identity-remark-sparks-pok-outrage-2983237 Details Asif's argument that people of Rawalakot and Mirpur are not authentic Kashmiris because they speak Potohari/Pahari rather than Kashmiri, made against the backdrop of ongoing PoK protests. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://dailypioneer.com/news/pok-pm-criticises-pakistan-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-over-not-proper-kashmiris-remark PoK's self-styled PM Faisal Mumtaz Rathore criticised Asif's 'not proper Kashmiris' remark, confirming the statement occurred. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/deadly-protests-in-pakistan-administered-kashmir-whats-going-on Confirms the June 2026 PoK protests context in which the remark was made (deaths, JKJAAC crackdown). ✓ reachable · archived