Days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called Pakistan an “expert in international terrorism”, Islamabad issued a sharp response calling the remarks “highly irresponsible and gratuitous”.
While addressing a gathering in Gujarat’s Vadodara on Saturday, Jaishankar called India and expert in IT (Information Technology) but called the neighbouring country an expert in “International Terrorism”.
“No other country practices terrorism in the manner in which Pakistan has done. You show me anywhere in the world what Pakistan has done for so many years against India,” he said.
Taking note of his remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it categorically rejects the external affairs minister’s “highly irresponsible and gratuitous remarks” made at Vadodara, India insinuating at Pakistan’s so-called involvement in “international terrorism”.
“His unfounded remarks are yet another manifestation of the Indian leaders’ obsession to concoct facts with respect to terrorism for misleading the international community,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
It further claimed that Pakistan’s contribution to world peace, from successful counter-terrorism operations to its role in the global fight against terrorism, is widely acknowledged by the international community.
It should be noted that ties between the two countries hit nadir after India’s fighter jets bombarded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.
The relations further deteriorated after India announced withdrawing the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August, 2019.
