Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan has denounced the provocative remarks made by the Indian defence minister during a recent televised interview.
In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India's reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India's hollow claims of military superiority.
“India's ruling dispensation habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains,” she said.
“Such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term.”
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region.
"However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued. History attests to Pakistan's firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself," she said.
The FO spokesperson recalled that Pakistan has provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India's campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil.
She said India's assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as "terrorists", inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability.
The FO spokesperson urged the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's on Friday, admitted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's policy of orchestrating killings in Pakistan during a televised interview.
He said India will enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over the border after trying to carry out terrorist activities in the country.
The minister’s comments came a day after the British publication The Guardian’s investigative report, published on Thursday, revealed that at least 20 individuals had been murdered in Pakistan since 2020 at the behest of Indian intelligence operatives.
The report said it had seen evidence provided by Pakistani security agencies, and noted that Indian officers confirmed the new policy of assassinating enemies and dissidents on foreign soil.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had denied the allegations.