S Jaishankar takes indirect swipe at former NSA, defends tough stance vis-à-vis Pakistan

Speaking at a book launch event on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar indirectly took a swipe at former National Security visor Shivshankar Men by emphasising that India should never allow terrorism to be rmalised. Men on January 3 h criticised country’s policy to increasingly hyphenate itself with Pakistan. Jaishankar asserted that country in world h suffered as much as India owing to terrorism.  

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Jaishankar doubts strategic clarity of pacts with Pakistan in past

He stressed that India needed to develop its own narrative and contextualise core strategic interests to make country attractive to world. Maintaining that territorial integrity was a “core” interest, EAM observed that re could t be business as usual if re was a violation of aforesaid core interest. He also observed that previous accords with Pakistan such as Sharm El Sheikh and Havana lacked “strategic clarity”.  

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Men was Foreign Secretary when both se engments with Pakistan took place. Balochistan featured for first time in a joint statement with Pakistan at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2009, causing considerable embarrassment for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On or hand, Havana pact referred to anuncement of a joint anti-terrorism mechanism by both countries in 2006, which failed to materialise.

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're has been meaningful international support'

On January 3, Shivshankar Men talking at an event, criticised India’s move to enact Citizenship Amendment Act and abrogate Article 370. He claimed that country was facing trouble on diplomatic front due to se decisions. Men cited case of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel who h raised questions about situation in Jammu and Kashmir.  

Men stated, “re has been meaningful international support for this series of actions, apart from a few committed members of diaspora and a ragtag bunch of Euro MPs from extreme right. list of critical voices from abro is really long. From President Macron to Chancellor Merkel to UN High Commissioner for Refugees to visitors like King of rway who’d rmally be polite.” He ded, “What we have achieved in recent past, is to hyphenate our im with Pakistan in a fundamental way, as religiously driven and intolerant states. We have gifted our versaries, platforms from which to attack us.” 

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