ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Tuesday rejected the anti-Pakistan rhetoric by various Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged them to cease dragging Pakistan into their domestic politics for electoral gains and to handle sensitive strategic matters with the utmost caution.
Reacting to the series of Pakistan-related remarks made recently by the Indian Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and other cabinet members, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch regretted that these statements reflect an unhealthy and entrenched obsession with Pakistan and reveal a deliberate intent to exploit hyper-nationalism for electoral gains.
“We are witnessing an alarming surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric from various Indian leaders amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign. We outrightly reject these irresponsible statements, which cover a wide array of topics including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, counter-terrorism efforts, state of bilateral relations, and nuclear capabilities,” she said in response to media queries.
She added that these statements also signify a desperate attempt to deflect attention from mounting domestic and international criticism.
“The bravado and jingoism exhibited by Indian leaders expose a reckless and extremist mindset. This mindset calls into question India’s capacity to be a responsible steward of its strategic capability,” she said.
On the other hand, she added the purpose of Pakistan’s strategic capability is to safeguard its sovereignty and defend its territorial integrity. She further stated that Pakistan has also clearly demonstrated its resolve to defend itself in the past, and would not hesitate to do so in the future should the Indian side choose to embark on a misadventure.
“Just a few months ago, we exposed details of India’s campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil. India’s continuous emphasis on its readiness to take aggressive actions within Pakistan constitutes a tacit admission of guilt,” Baloch said.
Regarding the inflammatory rhetoric about Azad Jammu and Kashmir, she stated that Pakistan reiterates that historical facts, legal principles, moral considerations, and ground realities refute India’s baseless claims. Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions clearly mandate a plebiscite under UN auspices for its final determination.
“No amount of inflated Indian statements can change this reality. India should, therefore, focus on implementing these resolutions instead of indulging in fantasies of grandeur…We urge Indian politicians to cease dragging Pakistan into their domestic politics for electoral gains and to handle sensitive strategic matters with the utmost caution,” she said.
The spokesperson also called upon the international community to take note of Indian leadership’s belligerent rhetoric, which poses a grave threat to regional peace and stability.
“The vision of peace, progress, and prosperity in South Asia can only be realised through the peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir, and a shift from confrontation to cooperation,” she added.
While addressing an election rally on Monday in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, Indian Prime Minister Modi hit out at the opposition leaders terming them “cowards” after they cautioned the BJP leaders against anti-Pakistan rhetoric for being a nuclear power not “wearing bangles”.
“The INDIA bloc [anti-BJP bloc] seems to have leaders who are scared of Pakistan and have nightmares of its nuclear power…If Pakistan does not wear bangles, we will make the country wear these. I knew they did not have foodgrains. Now, I come to know they do not even have adequate supply of bangles,” Modi said in a bizarre statement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024