KARACHI – June 5, 2025:
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday strongly rejected recent statements made by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his visit to Brussels, calling them “irresponsible” and “bellicose,” and accusing New Delhi of fueling regional hostility instead of promoting peace.
In a sharply worded statement, the Foreign Office said:
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the External Affairs Minister of India during his media engagements in Brussels. The discourse of top diplomats should aim to promote peace and harmony, rather than producing bellicose punchlines. The tone and tenor of a foreign minister should be commensurate with his dignified status.”
The ministry accused India of waging a malicious propaganda campaign based on a “fictitious narrative of victimhood,” while simultaneously engaging in state-sanctioned oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
“Instead of pointing fingers at others, India should introspect on its own involvement in terrorism, subversion, and targeted assassinations,” the statement added. “India must desist from concocting misleading narratives to justify its recent aggressive actions.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and diplomacy, the Foreign Office asserted that the country remains fully capable of defending its sovereignty. It pointed to Pakistan’s recent military response to Indian strikes as an example of this resolve.
The statement also advised Indian leadership to shift its focus inward and “discard their obsession with Pakistan,” adding that “history will judge leaders not by who shouted the loudest — but by who acted the wisest.”
Jaishankar’s Controversial Comments
The response came after Jaishankar, during a press conference in Brussels alongside EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, characterized the India-Pakistan issue not as a bilateral conflict but as a confrontation between “India and terrorism.”
“This is not a conflict between two states per se,” Jaishankar said. “This is actually a response to the threat and practice of terrorism. So, I would urge you not to think of it as India-Pakistan, but ‘India-Terroristan’.”
In an interview with POLITICO, Jaishankar further alleged that Pakistan was using terrorism as an instrument of state policy and claimed that recent Indian military actions had destroyed or disabled Pakistani airfields.
He also issued a warning of future retaliatory actions:
“If [militants] are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan.”
Domestic Reaction in Pakistan
Reacting to Jaishankar’s remarks, former foreign minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slammed the Indian official’s rhetoric. Speaking at a press conference at the Pakistan High Commission in London, Bilawal said:
“Jaishankar speaks like a warmonger, not a diplomat. The real problem is extremism within the Indian government.”
The diplomatic spat marks yet another escalation in rhetoric following last month’s military flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Tensions remain high as both countries continue to exchange strong statements amid rising regional instability.
