Zee Media Bureau/Himanshu Kapoor
New Delhi: After Pakistan rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s accusation that the South Asian country is waging a proxy war against India, Ministry of External Affair Official Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said that the PM was articulating the core concerns in our relationship with Pakistan.
Reacting to Pakistan`s Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam statement terming PM Modi`s comments on terrorism as "baseless rhetoric", the MEA stressed that a mere denial from the neighbouring country will not drive away our concerns about terrorism.
“India will address its concerns on terrorism through all means available to us. Our tool kit not restricted in any manner,” Akbaruddin said.
Modi, in his visit to Leh yesterday addressed the Indian armed forces and had said that Pakistan is killing innocent people by indulging in a paroxy war with India. Adding that it has lost the strength to fight a conventional war.
"The neighbouring country has lost the strength to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war of terrorism. Indian armed forces are suffering more casualties from terrorism than from war," Modi had said.
The spokesperson, while referring to "news reports attributed to Modi repeating the baseless rhetoric against Pakistan regarding terrorism", recalled that Pakistan has consistently condemned terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations.
She contended that, having lost the lives of 55,000 of its citizens as a result of terrorism, "Pakistan is the biggest victim of the menace".
"The entire world has, time and again, acknowledged Pakistan`s unprecedented sacrifices, rendered by our valiant armed forces with over 5,000 soldiers having embraced Shahadat (martyrdom). Our armed forces remain ready to defend the country`s borders and thwart any threat of aggression," the spokesperson stressed.
"The press reports of Indian accusations, at the highest political level, are most unfortunate, especially as the leadership of Pakistan wishes to establish good neighbourly relations with India. Nawaz Sharif`s visit to India in May was in this spirit and generated a fresh momentum in the bilateral relationship.”
"It would be in the larger interest of regional peace that instead of engaging in a blame game, the two countries should focus on resolving all issues through dialogue and work together to promote friendly and cooperative relations."
(With agency inputs)
