Pak hits out at Jaishankar for blaming its military for India's security problems

Pakistan pushed back against External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent comments on its military, saying its institutions, including armed forces, form a core part of the country's national security framework. The response came a day after Jaishankar, speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi, linked many of India's long-running security problems to Pakistan's military establishment.

On Sunday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan "categorically rejects and condemns" Jaishankar's remarks, calling them "highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible". He said Pakistan is a responsible state and that its institutions are central to maintaining national security.

PAKISTAN ALLEGES TARGETED PROPAGANDA

Andrabi also cited the conflict in May as proof of the "resolve of Pakistani forces to defend the country against any aggression in a befitting, effective yet responsible manner". He accused India of running a "propaganda campaign" aimed at defaming Pakistan’s state institutions and its leadership.

During his address in New Delhi, Jaishankar had said many of India's security challenges stem from Pakistan's military establishment and referred to its support for terror groups. He added that just as some actors differentiate between "good terrorists and bad terrorists", the same logic appears to apply to "good military leaders and not-so-good ones".

Pressed on whether India could have handled any aspect of Operation Sindoor differently, Jaishankar said India works under clear rules and norms, with every action subject to public and institutional accountability.

"I think where India is concerned, there are things we do, and there are things we don't. We have rules, we have norms. If we take any step, we are accountable in this country, to the people, to the media, to the civil society," he said. He added that comparing India’s conduct with Pakistan "would be doing ourselves an injustice".

Operation Sindoor, launched on 7 May, targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. The four-day military exchange ended on 10 May after both sides agreed to halt operations. According to Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, the strikes destroyed or damaged at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including several F-16 jets.

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With inputs from PTI

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