Pakistan hits back at Modi over 'epicenter of terrorism' remark in podcast

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp rebuke Monday to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent claims that Pakistan is an "epicenter of terrorism," calling his statements "misleading and one-sided" while accusing India of its own involvement in cross-border terrorism.

The official statement comes in response to Modi's extended interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman released Sunday, where the Indian leader claimed Pakistan has been "waging a proxy war" against India and described the neighboring country as a global hub for terrorism.

"India's fictitious narrative of victimhood cannot hide its involvement in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan's soil," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in the statement, turning the accusations back on India.

Pakistan maintained in its statement that it "has always advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue" to resolve outstanding issues, but claimed that "peace and stability in South Asia have remained hostage to India's rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions."

'Attempts at peace met with hostility'

During the podcast, Modi recalled inviting then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 and making a surprise visit to Lahore in 2015 as evidence of India's commitment to peace.

"Every noble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal," Modi claimed in the interview.

Modi cited the example of Osama bin Laden being found in Pakistan to support his claim that "terrorism and the terrorist mindset are deeply rooted in Pakistan."

The Indian leader also described Pakistan as an "epicenter of turmoil" not just for India but for the world.

Pakistan reemphasizes Kashmir dispute

Pakistan's response challenged Modi's assertion, accusing India of "orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories".

The Pakistani statement emphasized that Modi's comments "conveniently omit the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," which it described as remaining unresolved for seven decades "despite India's solemn assurances to the United Nations, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people."

Kashmir has been a flashpoint between the two countries since partition, with both India and Pakistan claiming the region in its entirety but controlling only parts of it.

The Pakistani statement concluded that India's "anti-Pakistan narrative vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation," calling for such rhetoric to stop.