Indian Foreign Minister Accuses Pakistan of Decades-Long, Open Sponsorship of Terrorism

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday characterized India’s relationship with Pakistan as a “unique challenge” in global diplomacy, asserting that Islamabad’s overt and sustained use of terrorism as a tool of statecraft against India compels New Delhi to shape its foreign policy around this “unpalatable reality.”

“While we work to build constructive partnerships globally, the relationship with Pakistan stands as an exception,” Jaishankar stated, emphasizing that Pakistan’s conduct finds few parallels in the contemporary international system. “Challenge me to find a comparable example,” he said. “Show me in the world, in this day and age, any country which has actually pursued the kind of policies that Pakistan has against its neighbour.”

The minister alleged that Pakistan’s support for anti-India militancy has been neither covert nor sporadic, but a persistent, visible feature of its strategic posture spanning decades. “For decades, you had these training camps—not secret camps, but camps in the big cities of Pakistan, operating openly with the support of the state and military,” Jaishankar claimed.

He further accused Pakistan of attempting to legitimize and normalize such actions on the global stage. “They try to project it as though it’s their right to do it,” he said, adding that such narratives have lost international credibility. “Nobody buys it anymore. There is a growing global consensus and understanding of these realities.”

Describing this assessment as a harsh but inescapable foundation for policymaking, Jaishankar stressed that India cannot afford to be oblivious to the implications. “It’s a very unpalatable reality, but it’s one which we cannot ignore. We have to build our policies, acknowledging that this is the nature of that particular relationship.”

Outlining India’s bifurcated regional approach, the Foreign Minister drew a stark contrast between cooperative partners and adversarial actors. “Our approach is clear: those who are willing to work with us constructively and positively, we will reciprocate in full measure. For those who choose the path Pakistan has, our response will be fundamentally different,” he asserted.

Highlighting India’s role as a regional security provider and first responder, Jaishankar cited recent humanitarian interventions. “When major disasters strike—the cyclone in Sri Lanka, the earthquake in Afghanistan, crises in Myanmar—nations naturally turn to those with the capacity and will to help. In our region, there is a deepening conviction that the reliable partner in such times is India.”

The remarks underscore the persistent and profound rift between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with India positioning Pakistan’s alleged sponsorship of terrorism as the central, insoluble obstacle to normalization, while projecting itself as a stabilizing and responsible power committed to regional solidarity.

 

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