ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday strongly rejected what it termed “irresponsible assertions” by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, accusing New Delhi of attempting to deflect attention from its own record of promoting terrorism and fuelling regional instability.
The FO’s response followed Indian media reports quoting Jaishankar as saying that India had the right to defend itself against terrorism while referring to “bad neighbours”, an apparent reference to Pakistan. He also linked the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to alleged cross-border militancy, arguing that decades of terrorism undermined the spirit of good neighbourliness underpinning the agreement.
In a statement, the FO said Pakistan “firmly rejects” the Indian minister’s remarks, adding that India’s “documented involvement in promoting terrorist activities in the region, particularly in Pakistan, is well known”.
It cited the case of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav as a “stark example” of state-sponsored terrorism. Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan in March 2016 and later confessed to espionage and sabotage activities; he remains imprisoned in Pakistan.
The FO further alleged that India has been involved in extraterritorial killings, proxy sabotage and covert support to militant networks, describing these actions as consistent with the Hindutva ideology. It also reiterated Pakistan’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir, condemning India’s “illegal and violent military occupation” and reaffirming support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination under UN Security Council resolutions.
On the IWT, the FO stressed that the treaty was concluded in good faith and warned that any unilateral violation by India would undermine regional stability and its credibility under international law. It said Pakistan would take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights under the agreement.
The statement comes days after National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Jaishankar briefly shook hands in Dhaka during the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, marking the first high-level contact between Pakistani and Indian officials since the military conflict in May 2025.
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