Pakistan has denounced the provocative remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a recent televised interview.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India’s hollow claims of military superiority.
The spokesperson said India’s ruling dispensation habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains.
Such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term.
Baloch said Pakistan had always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region. However, Islamabad’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness. “History attests to Pakistan’s firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself,” she said.
The spokesperson recalled that Pakistan had provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India’s campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil.
She said India’s assertion of its preparedness to extrajudicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as “terrorists”, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability.
She urged the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions.
