New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Friday that Pakistan is resorting to “terrorism” and “proxy war” to maintain its relevance, but asserted that its “unholy plans” will ultimately fail.
The nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan, have a long history of strained relations. India has consistently accused Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants in Kashmir, a region both nations claim in full but only control in parts. Pakistan counters these claims by asserting that it offers only diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination in the predominantly Muslim region.
Modi’s remarks were made during an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of India’s brief military conflict with Pakistan in the Kargil district of the Himalayas. The two countries have fought three wars, two of which were over Kashmir. Modi’s comments follow a series of militant attacks in the Hindu-majority Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, which have resulted in the deaths of nearly a dozen Indian soldiers this year.
According to Modi, Pakistan has faced humiliation each time it has attempted to advance its agendas and has “not learned anything from its history.” He emphasized, “I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their unholy plans will never be successful…Our brave (forces) will squash terrorism, and the enemy will be given a befitting reply.”
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Pakistan’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment on Modi’s statements. Relations between India and Pakistan have remained largely stagnant, exacerbated by diplomatic downgrades following New Delhi’s August 2019 decision to revoke Kashmir’s special status and reorganize it into two federally administered territories.
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Tensions escalated further after a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir, which was linked to Pakistan-based militants. In retaliation, India conducted an airstrike on what it claimed was a militant base in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, Pakistan alleged that Indian agents were involved in attacks on its soil, claims which India dismissed as “fake.” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated last month that India seeks a resolution to cross-border terrorism, emphasizing that it should not be part of a neighborly policy.
