India: Congress slams Modi govt over Pakistan’s role in US-Iran peace agreement

Islamabad (Web Desk): In India, the opposition Indian National Congress has launched sharp criticism against the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the backdrop of Pakistan’s reported diplomatic engagement and its role in facilitating a peace understanding between the United States and Iran.

The controversy has also been amplified in sections of the Indian media, where Pakistan’s diplomatic visibility and international acknowledgment are being contrasted with the performance of the Modi administration’s foreign policy.

According to Indian newspaper The Tribune, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the reference to a US-Iran peace arrangement as the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” signals Pakistan’s growing diplomatic footprint and raises important questions about the current government’s external affairs strategy.

He further added that the use of the term highlights Islamabad’s rising stature in regional as well as global geopolitics.

Ramesh also observed that Pakistan appears to be increasingly embedded within the wider geopolitical and security framework of West Asia, suggesting that this shift could carry notable implications for India’s strategic positioning in the region.

Meanwhile, Business Standard reported that India’s policy alignment, particularly its support for Israel’s actions in the Middle East, is being viewed by some analysts as potentially damaging to the country’s broader national interests.

The report further noted concerns over New Delhi’s perceived closeness to former US President Donald Trump, which critics argue has created diplomatic discomfort for India on the global stage.

Overall, according to commentators cited in the Indian press, India is experiencing what they describe as repeated setbacks across diplomatic, defence, and trade domains, which critics attribute to weaknesses and missteps in the current government’s foreign policy approach.