Pakistan on Friday derided Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “belligerent remarks” as “counter-productive” to resolving longstanding disputes between the neighboring countries, as it reminded Delhi of its ongoing brutalities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Earlier, Modi alleged during a public address that Pakistan was trying to stay relevant through “terrorism” and “proxy war,” adding such a strategy would never succeed.
Reacting to his remarks, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Indian prime minister cannot divert the world’s attention from his state’s ongoing brutalities in IIOJK. “Bravado and jingoism undermine regional peace, and are totally counter-productive for resolution of longstanding disputes between Pakistan and India, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
“The Indian leaders’ rhetorical statements cannot deflect international attention from India’s heavy-handed approach to suppress the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realization of their fundamental rights and freedoms, particularly their inalienable right to self-determination,” she said and urged Delhi to self-reflect before casting stones.
The statement urged New Delhi to “reflect on its own campaign of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories” and asked the Modi-led regime to avoid maligning others for terrorism. Baloch also warned India against any aggression, saying Pakistan stood resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019. However, she stressed, Pakistan was committed to promoting peace and stability in the region.