ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Monday accused New Delhi of holding regional peace hostage due to its rigidity and hegemonic ambitions, while urging India to abandon its anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

“Peace and stability in South Asia have remained hostage to India’s rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions,” it said in a statement issued following Indian PM Narendra Modi’s interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman.

The FO dismissed the Indian leader’s remarks as “misleading and one-sided,” adding that he deliberately omitted mentioning the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The remarks are misleading and one-sided. They conveniently omit the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remains unresolved for last seven decades despite India’s solemn assurances to the United Nations, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people,” the FO statement said.

FO lashes out at Modi’s ‘misleading, one-sided’ accusations on Lex Fridman’s podcast; points out how New Delhi engages in terrorism on foreign soil

Responding to a question in the podcast about the cause of tense ties between the two neighbouring countries, Modi had said, “We expected them to live and let live and yet, they chose not to foster a harmonious coexistence. Time and again, they decided to be at odds with India. They have waged a proxy war against us.”

The FO also challenged

India’s narrative on terrorism, asserting that New Delhi itself had engaged in acts of terrorism on foreign soils.

“India’s fictitious narrative of victimhood cannot hide its involvement in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan’s soil and the state-sanctioned oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Instead of blaming others, India should reflect on its own record of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,” it said.

During the podcast, Modi accused Pakistan of waging a proxy war against India and rejecting New Delhi’s peace overtures.

“We are not the sole victims of this menace. Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan,” he said, recalling that the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was eventually found hiding in Pakistan.

“We have urged them to abandon the path of state-sponsored terrorism for good. We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” Modi said.

Islamabad, however, countered this claim by reiterating its commitment to regional stability and dialogue, while blaming India for obstructing peace efforts.

“Pakistan has always advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” the FO stated, while pointing the finger at India’s hegemonic designs and rigidity as the main obstacle to regional peace.

The statement further criticised India’s rhetoric, suggesting it was a major impediment to improvement in ties.

“The anti-Pakistan narrative, emanating from India, vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation. It must stop,” the FO asserted.

In his interview, Modi also recounted his 2014 invitation to then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony, terming it a sign of goodwill, as well as his 2015 visit to Lahore in an effort to strengthen ties. However, he claimed that India’s peace efforts were met with hostility and betrayal.

Pakistan, in its rebuttal, urged India to take a more constructive approach to resolving disputes, rather than relying on inflammatory rhetoric.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2025