Pakistan rejects Indian minister’s accusations against military, calls remarks ‘inflammatory’

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected on Sunday comments by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, calling his remarks inflammatory and irresponsible.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, in a statement, said New Delhi was spreading baseless allegations against Pakistan’s military to divert attention from India’s own policies in the region.

He said Pakistan is a responsible state, and its institutions — including the armed forces — are committed to defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Andrabi referenced brief border conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May, saying it showed the professionalism and discipline of Pakistan’s military in responding to what Islamabad described as Indian aggression.

“No propaganda can deny this reality,” he said.

The spokesperson accused Indian leaders of attempting to discredit Pakistani state institutions as part of a broader campaign that, he said, seeks to obscure India’s “destabilizing actions” and involvement in “state-sponsored terrorism” inside Pakistan — claims India has repeatedly denied.

Andrabi urged New Delhi to confront the rise of majoritarian Hindu nationalism rather than targeting Pakistan. He said extremist ideology had led to mob violence, religious discrimination and the demolition of homes and places of worship in India.

“Indian state and leadership have become hostage to this terror in the name of religion,” he said.

Pakistan says it favors coexistence and diplomacy but will remain steadfast in defending its national interests.

Jaishankar’s remarks came Saturday during a summit in New Delhi. He said India’s main challenges with Pakistan “stem directly from the country’s military establishment,” which he accused of supporting militant groups and shaping long-standing hostility toward India.

The two countries have fought several wars and continue to trade accusations of cross-border militancy. Diplomatic ties have been largely frozen since 2019, when India revoked the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir, a region claimed by both sides.