'Alarming Surge in Anti-Pak Rhetoric During India's Elections': Pakistan Foreign Office

Pakistan on Tuesday reiterated its outright rejection of “anti-Pakistan” rhetoric from Indian leaders amid the Lok Sabha elections. The country’s foreign office said it has witnessed an “alarming surge” in statements and allegations related to different topics, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Pakistan’s foreign office once again issued a formal note on the statements made by Indian political leaders. “We are witnessing an alarming surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric from various Indian leaders amid the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign. We [outrightly] reject these irresponsible statements, which cover a wide array of topics including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, counter-terrorism efforts, state of bilateral relations, and nuclear capabilities,” it said.

Two few weeks ago, too, India’s neighbour had urged Indian leaders to stop dragging the country in their speeches for political mileage during the election season. Speaking at a press briefing, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Islamabad rejects all the claims made by Indian leaders over Jammu and Kashmir.

“Indian politicians to cease their reckless practice of dragging Pakistan into India’s populist public discourse for electoral motives,” she said.

She added: “We are witnessing an alarming surge in provocative statements from Indian leaders asserting unwarranted claims on Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan rejects these claims. Fuelled by hyper-nationalism, this inflammatory rhetoric poses a grave threat to regional peace and susceptibility.”

Zahra claimed that Indians were making allegations contrary to historical and legal facts. “Historical and legal facts as well as ground realities refute India’s baseless claims over Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.

India has previously rejected such statements by Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. The ministry of external affairs has repeatedly asserted that “the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same”.