Pakistan FO rejects Jaishankar's remarks on current Indo-Pak ties

Pakistan on Saturday rejected what it called "unwarranted" remarks by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at a recent virtual event about the current ties between the two neighbours.

Speaking during an online event hosted by the Asia Society, Jaishankar on Friday said, "In terms of your… question, how are we with Pakistan. Well, I am afraid we're still at the, if not the perennial issues, at least the long-lasting ones, which is terrorism from Pakistan continues."

"Terrorism from Pakistan remains publicly acknowledged by their government as a policy that they are justifying. So it makes it very hard to conduct normal relations with them,” he said.

Commenting on his remarks, the Pakistan Foreign Office said, "We completely reject these unwarranted and tendentious comments, blaming Pakistan for the current state of India-Pakistan relations."

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.