Highly irresponsible to threaten splitting of sovereign country: Pakistan warns India

FO urges India to cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan

Islamabad on Tuesday condemned the recent provocative statements by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, calling them "highly irresponsible".

“These provocative statements from a senior minister in the Indian government provide another insight into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mindset - a mix of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions, and obsession with Pakistan,” said FO Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal in a statement.



During an election rally in Haryana on Sunday, the Indian defence minister mockingly offered Islamabad assistance in fighting terrorism and also threatened the disintegration of Pakistan.

"Pakistan should forget Kashmir. In 1947, based on two-nation theory, India was partitioned. But in 1971 Pakistan again split into two. If the same situation prevails, then no power of the world can stop Pakistan from disintegrating," Indian publication The Hindu quoted Singh as saying.

The FO statement said it was "highly irresponsible of the Indian defence minister to be threatening the splitting of a sovereign country".

"We are sure that the world community would take cognisance. For his part, Mr Rajnath Singh should have no doubt that the security forces and people of Pakistan remain ready to resolutely defend the country against any evil design."

The FO spokesperson, rejecting Singh's "gratuitous comments on help in counter-terrorism", said that New Delhi would "help itself by ceasing forthwith the state-terrorism it has been perpetrating for decades against the Kashmiri people in occupied Jammu and Kashmir".



In reference to India's espionage activities in Pakistan, the FO urged the country's western neighbour to cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan.

"It is a well-established pattern that whenever there are elections in India, the BJP leadership whips up anti-Pakistan sentiment to rally support for its candidates. As we have stressed before,the BJP should contest elections on the basis of its own performance, rather than dragging Pakistan into the domestic political foray for electoral gains."