S Jaishankar slams Pakistan over terrorism: Cancer now consuming its body politic
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday delivered a sharp rebuke of Pakistan, saying that the country is an "exception in our neighbourhood" and stressed that its continued support to terrorism is a "cancer now consuming its own body politic".
Speaking at the Nani Palkhivala Memorial Lecture in Mumbai, Jaishankar stressed that Pakistan’s actions not only harm its neighbours but destabilise the entire subcontinent. "Pakistan is an exception in our neighbourhood, in view of its support to cross-border terrorism. That cancer is now consuming its own body politic. The entire subcontinent has a shared interest in Pakistan abjuring that approach," Jaishankar said.
"The entire Subcontinent has a shared interest in Pakistan abjuring that approach," he noted, underscoring the critical importance of a cooperative and peaceful South Asia.
"India's challenge has been to rebuild a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the partition. It is now doing so through a generous and non-reciprocal approach, funding and supporting energy, rail and road connectivity, expanding trade and investment and intensifying exchanges and contacts," the External Affairs Minister said.
Talking about the examples of recent history, Jaishankar said, "In times of crisis, be it pandemic or the economic meltdown, India has actually served as an insurance for its smaller neighbours. Sri Lanka discovered that in 2023, when India put together a package of more than USD 4 billion, even while the rest of the world didn't".
"It is also a reality that political developments may throw up complex situations as we are currently witnessing in Bangladesh. The very purpose of closer cooperation and contacts is actually to address such contingencies at the end of the day. It is the mutuality of interest that should be counted upon to prevail," he added.
Turning to Myanmar and Afghanistan, Jaishankar highlighted India’s longstanding people-to-people ties with both nations. He acknowledged the complexities of the situations in these countries and emphasised that regional stability is of paramount importance.
"We must be mindful that those more proximate have stakes which are quite different from others far away," he stated, highlighting India’s nuanced approach to its neighbourhood diplomacy.
During his address at the Nani Palkhivala Memorial Lecture in Mumbai, S Jaishankar stressed that Pakistan’s actions not only harm its neighbours but destabilise the entire subcontinent.
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