New Delhi, Jul 23: India on Thursday strongly rejected comments made by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister at the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum, accusing Islamabad of misusing a multilateral platform to spread “falsehoods” and divert attention from its record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism.
In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments” made by the Pakistani leader.
“It is no surprise that a multilateral forum has once again been cynically exploited by Pakistan to amplify falsehoods, peddle state-sponsored disinformation, and divert attention from its own well-documented record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism,” he said.
Reiterating India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir, Jaiswal said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India,” adding that “Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on the same.”
The MEA also reaffirmed India’s stand on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying the treaty would remain in abeyance in view of Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.
“India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty remains consistent. IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the dastardly Pahalgam attack. IWT will continue to be held in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said.
The spokesperson also condemned Pakistan for what he described as the continued propagation of “officially sponsored disinformation”, including the use of religious terminology such as “Fitna al-Hindustan.”
Calling it a futile attempt to divert attention from Pakistan’s domestic problems and its “well-proven role as a safe haven for global terrorist networks”, Jaiswal said Islamabad should stop misusing international forums and instead dismantle the terrorist infrastructure operating from its soil.
“Instead of pointing fingers at its neighbours and misusing international platforms, Pakistan would serve itself and its people far better by dismantling the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil and putting its own house in order,” he said.
