External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that many of India’s long-standing challenges with Pakistan originate from the Pakistani army, which he described as the source of ideological hostility towards India.
Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, the minister said terrorism, training camps, and a mindset of hostility are rooted in the policies of Pakistan’s military establishment.
Jaishankar said the state of Pakistan and the difference in capabilities and reputation between the two countries should be clear to observers. He emphasised that India does not need to hyphenate itself with Pakistan and that New Delhi will deal with the challenge pragmatically.
Commenting on Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, he remarked that just as some speak of good terrorists and bad terrorists, there are also good military leaders and not-so-good ones.
Asked whether India could have acted differently during Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said India operates with clear rules and norms and that any action taken must be accountable to the nation, its people, the media, and civil society.
In May, India carried out 24 missile strikes across nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing 70 terrorists and injuring 60 others in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan responded with what India described as arbitrary and indiscriminate firing and artillery shelling across the Line of Control. A ceasefire was reached on May 10.
On India’s relationship with China, Jaishankar said peace along the border remains essential for bilateral ties.
He noted that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on October 24 last year, both sides reached an understanding on the remaining friction points. Since then, he said, border areas have remained stable and patrolling patterns have largely resumed smoothly.
Jaishankar said that while the Galwan Valley clashes were significant, they were not the only issue in the relationship. He pointed to concerns related to trade, investment, competition, subsidies, fairness, and transparency. Direct air links between the two countries, suspended due to COVID, have not been restored and remain an outstanding matter separate from the border situation.