Pakistan today dismissed a statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding its counter-terrorism measures in Afghanistan, labelling the communiqué as “baseless, misleading, and unwarranted.”
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi articulated the government”s position on Tuesday while responding to media queries about the declaration issued by New Delhi a day earlier.
He asserted that India”s remarks reflect “blatant hypocrisy and duplicity,” accusing New Delhi of actively sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan from Afghan soil and acting as a historical “spoiler” in the region.
The spokesperson contended that the Indian statement comes from a country whose leadership, he alleged, instrumentalises Islamophobia for domestic electoral gain and has perpetrated pogroms against its Muslim population. He also referenced a recent pledge of support by Indian leadership to what he termed “another occupying power responsible for the ongoing killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians.”
Mr Andrabi described it as “preposterous” for a state that has “historically undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbouring countries” to comment on the upholding of such principles.
He added that such declarations cannot divert attention from the ongoing suppression and denial of the right to self-determination for Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which he noted is a violation of relevant UN resolutions.
The Foreign Office concluded by demanding that India must “refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil,” including those on the UN Security Council sanctions list, and should “cease its misplaced lament over Pakistan”s successful counter-terrorism measures.”