The Foreign Office on Tuesday vehemently rejected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest statement accusing Pakistan of supporting terrorism, terming it a "reckless provocation."
On the second day of his visit to the state of Gujarat, while addressing party workers in Gandhinagar, Modi spoke about the militant attack in Pahalgam and India's military response, 'Operation Sindoor'.
Speaking about the Pahalgam attack, Modi said, "This cannot be called a proxy war, because the terrorists killed on May 6 during Operation Sindoor were given state funerals in Pakistan. Their coffins were draped in Pakistani flags and were saluted by the Pakistani military. This proves that these acts of terrorism are not just proxy warfare but part of a well-thought-out war strategy."
It is worth noting that Pakistani civilian and military officials have repeatedly claimed that Indian strikes in various cities across Pakistan have killed innocent civilians, including women and children.
Modi stated: "I want to tell the new generation how this country was ruined. The way the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in the 1960s — if you examine its details, you'll be shocked. The treaty even stated that the dams built on rivers in Jammu and Kashmir would not be cleaned, and their gates would not be opened."
"For 60 years, those gates were not opened. India's water reservoirs, which should have been filled to 100% capacity, were reduced to just 2-3%. Don't the people of my country have a right to that water? Shouldn't our people get their rightful share?"
"And I haven't even done much yet. We've just announced the suspension of the treaty — and they [Pakistan] are already sweating. We slightly opened the dam gates to start cleaning, and even that much caused floods over there."
The Foreign Office vehemently rejected Modi's diatribe. "Pakistan has taken note of the recent remarks by the Prime Minister of India, delivered in Gujarat with the theatrical flourish of a campaign rally rather than the sobriety expected of the leader of a nuclear-armed state," noted the Foreign Office.
"The hate-driven invocation of violence in his remarks is deeply disturbing, not only for its content but for the dangerous precedent it sets in a region already burdened by volatility. We regret the continued erosion of maturity and decorum in Indian statecraft," it added.
"Such statements blatantly violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which obliges member states to resolve disputes peacefully and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty or political independence of other states."
The Foreign Office said that Pakistan views these remarks as a "reckless provocation", intended to distract from the ongoing human rights abuses and demographic engineering in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Pakistan's record as a leading contributor to the UN peacekeeping and its consistent cooperation in the global counter-terrorism efforts speak louder than any hostile soundbite, according to the statement.
"If extremism is indeed a concern for the Indian government, it would do well to turn inwardtoward the alarming rise of majoritarianism, religious intolerance, and the systematic disenfranchisement of minorities under the increasingly brutal Hindutva ideology."
The statement said Pakistan remains committed to peace based on mutual respect and sovereign equality. However, any threat to its security or territorial integrity will be met with firm and proportionate measures, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The Foreign Office stressed that the international community must take serious note of India's escalating rhetoric, which undermines regional stability and the prospects for lasting peace.
Israeli provocation
A separate statement issued by the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the latest provocative actions by Israeli occupation power as well as illegal settlers to undermine the religious, historical and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"Such actions are unacceptable and constitute a flagrant violation of the international law, and have the potential to further escalate an already volatile situation in the region," it said. "Pakistan calls for upholding the sanctity and historical status of the holy sites, and preventing Israel from any further provocations."
The Foreign Office statement also deplored the continued targeting of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza by the occupation power. The latest reprehensible attack against a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza was an example of continued Israeli impunity.
"The harrowing images being witnessed by the world in the aftermath of the attack that resulted in dozens of deaths, many of them children, should be a wake-up call for the international community. These attacks must end forthwith, and Israel must be held accountable for its heinous crimes," it stressed.
The spokesperson said Pakistan reiterated its unwavering support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and called for the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)
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