The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday derided Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “belligerent remarks” against Pakistan today as counter-productive jingoism that undermined regional peace.
Modi made the remarks in Ladakh where Indian soldiers and top army brass gathered to commemorate the 1999 Kargil conflict.
The 1999 Kargil conflict was the last major battle between the two nuclear-armed foes, who have fought numerous wars since their partition into two nations upon independence from British colonial rule. It came just a year after tit-for-tat atomic weapons tests by the neighbours and spurred international alarm that the confrontation risked tipping into all-out nuclear war. Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the conflict’s end.
During today’s event, PM Modi alleged that Islamabad was responsible for the conflict and said that while “India was trying for peace, Pakistan had once again showed its untrustable face.”
Modi claimed Pakistan was unsuccessful whenever it tried to further its plans but had “not learned anything from its history”.
“I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their unholy plans will never be successful … Our brave [forces] will squash terrorism, the enemy will be given a befitting reply,” he claimed.
In response to Modi’s comments, the FO said in a statement that “bravado and jingoism” undermine regional peace and were “totally counter-productive” for the resolution of long-standing disputes between the two countries, especially the core dispute of Kashmir.
“The Indian leaders’ rhetorical statements cannot deflect international attention from India’s heavy-handed approach to suppress the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realisation of their fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly their inalienable right to self-determination,” the FO said.
It added that India should reflect on its campaign of “orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories” instead of accusing others of terrorism.
The FO said that Pakistan stood resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against “any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless incursion” in February 2019.
It added that while Pakistan was ready to counter its neighbour’s aggressive actions, it remained committed to “promoting peace and stability in the region”.
Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had advocated for the normalisation of relations with India, expressing Pakistan’s openness to dialogue, while also outlining conditions aimed at easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, who have long been embroiled in disputes.
Speaking at the 51st founding anniversary of the government-run think tank Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, had said: “Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
