Pakistan calls on world to curb India’s 'terrorism from Pakistan' rhetoric for lasting peace

Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Pakistan and India to avert an escalating conflict, Pakistan's Foreign Office issued a detailed statement outlining its position and urging the international community to restrain India from making false accusations against Pakistan to achieve lasting peace.

The Foreign Office began by confirming that Pakistan and India had agreed to a ceasefire understanding, but emphasized the need to “put the relevant developments in the right perspective.”

Reiterating its stance, the FO stated that Pakistan urged the global community to stop India from pushing a “sham narrative of the so-called terrorism from Pakistan” to ensure sustainable peace. “A forward-looking Pakistan needs support, not indifference from the international community,” it said.

'Pakistan’s defensive response'

The statement explained that Pakistan was forced to respond in self-defence, invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter, after India fired BrahMos missiles across several locations along the international border. In response to this "unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression," Pakistan launched “Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos” early Saturday, the FO said.

It further alleged that despite having no evidence, and ignoring Pakistan’s offer for “a neutral, transparent and credible investigation by international investigators,” India carried out multiple strikes between May 7 and 10. These attacks reportedly killed civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—and injured dozens more, while damaging infrastructure and places of worship.

“As if the dastardly aggression during the intervening night of 6 and 7 May, breach of Pakistan’s sovereign airspace through firing of missiles and killer drones, and consequent human and material losses were already not grave enough, India further endangered the regional peace and stability by sending additional waves of killer drones in large numbers across the length and breadth of Pakistan, including the Federal Capital,” the FO stated.

It added that these drones, loitering munitions, and missiles struck multiple civilian and military targets, causing further casualties, material damage, and widespread fear among the Pakistani population, sparking intense public calls for a defensive response. Multiple Indian missiles also reportedly targeted Pakistani air bases.

The FO added that despite facing repeated provocations, Pakistan showed considerable restraint.

“However, it was constrained to respond to ensure the safety and security of its people. Notwithstanding the incessant provocations, our response deliberately avoided civilian casualties and was precise, proportionate, minutely calibrated, and manifestly restrained.”

The Foreign Office further stated that Pakistan’s response was limited to entities and facilities directly involved in planning, coordinating, and executing acts of aggression and the killing of innocent Pakistani civilians. “These targets also included those Indian airbases from where Pakistani airbases were subjected to unprovoked missile attacks. Irrefutable evidence in this regard has already been shared with the international community,” it added.

'Strategic instability in South Asia'

The FO emphasized that the dangerous escalation between two nuclear-armed neighbors demands serious introspection and a comprehensive reassessment by the international community.

It stressed that the conflict should not be viewed merely as a product of longstanding historical disputes between the two South Asian nations, but rather in the broader context of clashing geopolitical interests. According to the FO, this ongoing rivalry has long undermined regional stability.

“Hence, any casus belli of the conflict, contrived or actual, cannot be lumped onto any country without due understanding of the genesis and root causes of the problems leading to frequent regional conflicts which the region and the world can ill afford,” it said.

The FO reiterated that strategic instability in South Asia stems from the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
“This dispute has been aggravated by Indian suppression of the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for the inalienable right to self-determination and falsely equating it with terrorism. The scourge of terrorism and extremism is not intrinsic to South Asia.”

'A history of sacrifices'

It argued that the lingering effects of Cold War politics had reshaped the socio-political fabric of the region and disrupted peace.
The FO pointed out that Pakistan’s and South Asia’s trajectory from a progressive, tolerant, and forward-looking society to the present state of turmoil was not spontaneous, but influenced by external factors. It urged all stakeholders in this “Grand Enterprise” to reflect on their roles, warning that they could no longer afford to remain silent observers.

“Despite herculean challenges, Pakistan re-emerged from the ravages of the Cold War as a resilient state and society that became the bulwark against the spread of terrorism and extremist ideology, albeit at a monumental cost. Pakistan’s sacrifices and contributions to the global fight against terrorism, especially post-9/11, are unparalleled.”

The FO alleged that India, sensing Pakistan’s heavy focus on counterterrorism efforts along its western front, had sought to exploit this commitment by waging an aggressive hybrid campaign and using proxies to destabilize the country.

It added: “India’s military provocations post-9/11 ought to be seen in the same light. Through such insidious maneuvres, despite being a victim of terrorism, Pakistan is continuously being subjected to a two-front situation so that it remains mired in internal problems and not able to focus on its development as well as the re-transformation of its society.”

The Foreign Office stated: “Surprisingly, India’s bogey of Pakistan as the ‘epicenter’ of terrorism quickly resurfaces whenever Pakistan is close to decisively eliminating the menace of terrorism. This vicious cycle, going on for over two decades, must end now.”

It warned that any diversion from Pakistan’s critical and ongoing fight against terrorism and the creeping tide of extremist ideology from its western border would pose a grave threat to both regional peace and global stability.

The FO also cautioned India against its strategy of deflecting internal crises and inflaming external tensions. It said India’s efforts to externalize what is essentially an internal matter—organic resistance to state-sponsored persecution of minorities—and to internalize an international dispute like Kashmir are both “dangerous and destabilizing.”

The statement added that "India must not weaponize the issue of terrorism to achieve its political aims, including the abrogation of the statehood of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty".

Call for diplomatic engagement

The FO stressed that Pakistan would not be intimidated by such tactics. Instead, it reiterated Islamabad’s willingness to engage in constructive diplomacy and comprehensive dialogue with New Delhi to resolve all outstanding issues peacefully.
“The international community must also play its role in preventing further escalation,” it added.

The FO reaffirmed that all elements of Pakistan’s national power remain firmly committed to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Our Armed Forces are obligated to take all measures for defending the motherland, its citizens, and in contributing to securing Pakistan’s vital national interests. This obligation is a sacred trust of the proud, resilient, brave, and honorable people of Pakistan.”

Pakistan, the FO said, had chosen a mature, responsible, and proportionate response in the face of grave provocation -- fully aware of the catastrophic consequences that any further escalation between two nuclear-armed states would bring.

“Any propensity to tread this dangerous path is fraught with catastrophic consequences for the complete region and beyond; hence, such an approach ought to be avoided,” it warned.