The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday rubbished “misleading and one-sided” remarks made by Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi during a podcast with US computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman.
During the podcast, PM Modi alleged: “Every attempt to foster peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal.” The Indian premier hoped that “wisdom would prevail on the leadership in Islamabad to improve bilateral ties”.
Denouncing Modi’s false propaganda, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said: “The remarks are misleading and one-sided. They conveniently omit the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remains unresolved for the last seven decades despite India’s solemn assurances to the United Nations, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people.”
He said that India’s fictitious narrative of victimhood could not hide its involvement in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan’s soil and the state-sanctioned oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).
“Instead of blaming others, India should reflect on its own record of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,” the spokesperson added.
He asserted that Pakistan has always advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of IIOJK.
However, peace and stability in South Asia have remained hostage to India’s rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions, said the spokesperson.
“The anti-Pakistan narrative, emanating from India, vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation. It must stop.”
India ‘main sponsor of terror’
Last week, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry termed India the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan, saying the latest attack on Jaffar Express was the continuation of the same policy.
Addressing a media briefing flanked by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, the DG ISPR said: “The latest attack in Balochistan and other terrorist incidents that took place in the past…we understand that the main sponsor of these [attacks] is your eastern neighbor.”
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), during the attack on the Jaffar Express, blew up train tracks and held over 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass in Bolan district.
The military, after clearing the train and rescuing hostages, said it killed 33 attackers. Before the operation began, terrorists had martyred 26 passengers, including 18 security personnel from the army and the FC. While four security personnel were martyred during the operation.
“The incident of Jaffar Express is continuity of the same policy, the same sponsorship from where is it was engineered and from it was being pushed..,” he remarked.
Slamming the Indian media, the DG ISPR said that fake videos were created by using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread malicious propaganda regarding Jaffar Express attack on the social media platforms.
“Indian media spread propaganda by using the fake videos to exaggerate the situation,” he said.
“India media tried to create a narrative [against Pakistan] by airing fake videos,” he said, adding that the Indian media also played terrorists’ old videos taken from the social media.
