The Foreign Office (FO) issued a strong condemnation on Sunday, denouncing Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s “delusional and dangerously revisionist remarks” about Sindh.
The FO’s rebuke came after the Indian media quoted Singh as saying: “Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.”
According to Indian media outlets, Singh maintained while speaking at an event in Delhi that Sindhi Hindus from his generation never fully accepted the accession of the province to Pakistan.
The FO said in its response that such statements revealed an “expansionist Hindutva mindset that seeks to challenge established realities and stands in clear violation of international law, the inviolability of recognised borders, and the sovereignty of states”.
“We urge Mr Rajnath Singh and other Indian leaders to refrain from provocative rhetoric that threatens regional peace and stability. It would be far more constructive for the Government of India to focus on ensuring the security of its own citizens, particularly vulnerable minority communities.
“It should hold accountable those who incite or perpetrate violence against them and address discrimination rooted in faith-based prejudice and historical distortions,” the FO statement read.
It added that India would also “do well to address the persistent grievances of the peoples in its northeast, many of whom continue to face systematic marginalisation, identity-based persecution, and cycles of state-enabled violence”.
“We call on India to take credible steps toward the genuine resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people under occupation.
“Pakistan remains committed to [a] peaceful resolution of all disputes with India on the basis of justice, equity and established international legal norms. At the same time, as in the past, Pakistan is firmly resolved to safeguard its security, national independence and sovereignty,” the FO statement said.
Ties between Pakistan and India have worsened since a four-day military conflict between the two neighbours in May.
The conflict, the worst between the old foes in decades, was sparked by an attack on Hindu tourists in occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi, without evidence, said was backed by Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement, with the foreign ministry having questioned the credibility of India’s account of the events, saying it was “replete with fabrications”.
Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, artillery and drones during the four-day conflict, killing dozens of people, before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan initially said it took down six Indian fighter jets during the conflict, including the French-made Rafale, and later increased the count to seven.
New Delhi acknowledged “some losses” during the conflict but denied losing six jets.
Since then, military and political leaders on both sides have issued strongly worded statements and warnings.
In early October, the Pakistani military had warned that any future conflict with India could lead to “cataclysmic devastation” and Islamabad would respond “resolutely, without any qualms or restraints”.
The statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had come in the wake of provocative remarks by the top Indian civil-military leadership.
“In the face of highly provocative statements of the Indian defence minister and its army and air chiefs, we caution that a future conflict might lead to cataclysmic devastation. In case a fresh round of hostilities is triggered, Pakistan shall not hold back. We shall resolutely respond, without any qualms or restraint,” it said.
In his remarks, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had warned Pakistan that it must “stop state-sponsored terrorism if it wants to retain its place on the map”.