Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 11:36 IST

Jaishankar said no other country has pursued the kind of policies Pakistan has against a neighbouring state.

File photo of S Jaishankar | File Image

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday spoke on India’s relationship with Pakistan, called it an “exception” among neighbours and accused Islamabad of openly supporting terrorism for decades.

Speaking in Luxembourg, when asked about India’s neighbourhood, Jaishankar said no other country today has pursued the kind of policies Pakistan has against a neighbouring state.

“For decades, you had these training camps, not secret training camps; they’re all training camps in the big cities of Pakistan, very open, where the state, the military supports terrorism, and they try to normalise it as though it’s their right to do it,” Jaishankar said. He added that such claims no longer carry credibility, noting, “Nobody buys it anymore. Everybody knows that these are people who are supporting the state.”

Describing this as an “unpalatable reality,” the minister said India cannot afford to ignore it while shaping its foreign policy. He stressed that New Delhi has to deal with each neighbour based on their conduct.

“Those who are willing to work with us and be helpful, positive, we’ll have to deal with them in that way. Those who do the kind of things that Pakistan does, we’ll have to deal with it in a different way,” Jaishankar said, underlining that India’s approach will remain firmly rooted in realism rather than rhetoric.

Also Read: ‘Look At Your Own Region’: Jaishankar Hits Back At West’s ‘Free Advice’ On India’s Operation Sindoor

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticised what he described as Western hypocrisy in reactions to Operation Sindoor, India’s military action against Pakistan. He said that while some Western countries expressed concern over rising tensions, they often act selectively based on their own interests and yet continue to offer what he termed “free advice” to India.

Referring to international responses during the operation, Jaishankar questioned the credibility of such concerns, suggesting that these countries should first reflect on violence and instability in their own regions and recognise the restraint India shows in similar situations. He remarked that in global affairs, “people say one thing and do another.”

Jaishankar said India must acknowledge this reality of international politics, where Western nations pursue their own priorities while commenting on others, and stressed that New Delhi should remain focused on its own policies and decisions without being influenced by external narratives.

“Why don’t you look at your own region and ask yourself, what are the levels of violence there, how much risk have been taken, how much worry the rest of us have about what you are doing?,” the EAM said, slamming the western narratives.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 6-7, 2025, after the terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 civilians. The Indian tri-services conducted precision strikes on nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, eliminating more than 100 terrorists.

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