Pakistan rejects Jaishankar’s irresponsible assertions: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday firmly rejected the irresponsible assertions made by the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, saying the remarks were aimed at deflecting attention from its own troubling record as a neighbour that promotes terrorism and contributes to regional instability.

Jaishankar had referred to “bad neighbours” while speaking at an event in Madras on Friday, claiming that New Delhi had the right to defend itself.

Responding to media queries, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, said India’s documented involvement in promoting terrorist activities in the region, particularly in Pakistan, “is well known”.

He added that the case of Indian Navy Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav remained a stark example of organised, state-sponsored terrorism directed against Pakistan.

“Equally concerning are recurring instances of extraterritorial killings, sabotage through proxies, and covert support to terrorist networks. This pattern is consistent with the extremist ideology of Hindutva and its violent proponents,” Ambassador Andrabi added.

He further said that India continues its illegal and violent military occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, adding that Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to providing full political, moral, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The foreign office spokesperson underscored that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is an international agreement concluded in good faith and at considerable cost.

He warned that any unilateral violation of the Treaty by India would undermine regional stability and call into question its credibility as a state that claims to respect international legal obligations.

“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights under the Treaty,” he said.

The statement comes after Jaishankar met Pakistan’s Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, at the residence of the late former prime minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, in Dhaka on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the Indian foreign minister approached Ayaz Sadiq at his seat, shook hands with him, and exchanged brief pleasantries.