Pakistan has slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s acknowledgement of India’s involvement in the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
A press statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office yesterday termed Modi’s statement on India’s involvement in the 1971 war as “India’s negative role against a sovereign neighbouring state.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Dhaka University event on Sunday reminded the attendees of India’s role in the Liberation War.
He also blamed Pakistan for spreading terrorism and fear in neighbouring India.
The Hindustan Times reported Modi saying: “Every now and then Pakistan keeps disturbing India, creates a nuisance, promotes terrorism, and such incidents keep recurring.”
The Times of India in a report said Modi is probably the first Indian leader who spoke about India’s treatment towards more than 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of the 1971 war.
“I know how well India treated Pakistani prisoners of war in 1971 because I was there and very much aware of what was happening, being an Indian army officer’s child.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Pakistan blamed Modi for his attempt to sow seeds of discord between the two brotherly nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
He also warned that such a move would not succeed.
“The people of Pakistan and Bangladesh are bound not only by the strong bonds of religious affinity, but also by the history of their struggle for independence against colonial rule. Indian attempts to sow seeds of discord between the two brotherly nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh will not succeed.”
He also claimed that Indian politicians not only indulge in actions that are in violation of the United Nations’ Charter, but also take pride in recalling their interference in the internal affairs of other states.
The spokesperson said Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence and maintaining good neighbourly relations with India, and that characterisation of bilateral relations by Prime Minister Modi as nuisance is unfortunate.
The Foreign Office spokesperson urged the international community to take note of India's acknowledgement of its interference in Bangladesh, which was then East Pakistan.