ISLAMABAD: The foreign office in Islamabad on Sunday condemned Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s “dangerously revisionist” remarks about Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, saying such statement reveal New Delhi’s “expansionist” designs.
Singh said that Sindhi Hindus from his generation never fully accepted the accession of the province to Pakistan in 1947, according to Indian media reports.
He said the province “will always be a part of India” civilizationally and that “who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again” as borders can change, India’s The Hindu newspaper reported.
The Pakistani foreign office said such statements reveal the mindset that seeks to “challenge established realities and stands in clear violation of international law, the inviolability of recognized 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,” the Pakistani foreign office said, urging New Delhi to address grievances of marginalized communities and religious minorities in India.
“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.”
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan were carved out of the Indian subcontinent at the end of the British rule in 1947. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir has since been a flashpoint between the neighbors.
The two countries control part of the territory but claim it in full and have fought multiple wars over the region. Both engaged in a four-day military conflict in May over a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied involvement.
The foreign office said that Pakistan remains committed to 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,” it added.
