ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Tuesday told Indian politicians to refrain from involving Pakistan in their electoral discourse as it accused them of exploiting anti-Pakistan sentiment to stir nationalistic fervour, a tactic aimed at gaining electoral advantages.

“We urge Indian politicians to cease dragging Pakistan into their domestic politics for electoral gains and to handle sensitive strategic matters with the utmost caution. We call upon the international community to take note of Indian leadership’s belligerent rhetoric, which poses a grave threat to regional peace and stability,” a statement issued by the FO read.

The statement was issued in the context of latest comments by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Muzzafarpur area of Bihar.

The FO described the recurring anti-Pakistan rhe­t­oric from Indian leaders during the election campaign as indicative of an extremist mindset, highlighting what it saw as an unhealthy and deeply ingrained obsession with Pakistan.

“The bravado and jingoism exhibited by Indian leaders expose a reckless and extremist mindset. This mindset calls into que­stion India’s capacity to be a responsible steward of its strategic capability.”

The statement highlighted that Pakistan had recently exposed India’s extrajudicial killings on its territory. It argued that India’s repe­ated assertions of its willingness to undertake aggressive ope­r­ations in Pakistan were an indirect acknowledgment of these actions.

Even Pakistan’s claims that Modi administration was involved in unauthorised killings on Pakistani territory were leveraged by the BJP to enhance its appeal to voters during elections.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024