Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar made a sardonic remark about India’s growing relations with the West while at the same time accusing New Delhi of being “close-minded” to its neighbouring countries.
While speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2023 in Islamabad on Tuesday (August 1), the minister described India as the “darling of the West”, noting that New Delhi has been open to “certain countries”.
“India has decided to be the darling of the West, but at the same time, it is very belligerent to the countries within its region. It stands out as a country that is very open towards certain countries, but very close-minded to some of its own people and certain countries within the region.,” she said.
Her remarks were highlighting India’s growing engagements with the West, especially the United States, while sharing acrimonious relations with the neighbouring countries Pakistan and China.
India’s ties with Pakistan have spiralled downwards over the years due to constant terror attacks emanating from across the border.
India has resolutely maintained that talks with Pakistan will only be possible if it stops hosting terrorists in its territory.
“India’s position has remained clear and consistent. We desire normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in a conducive atmosphere that is free of terror, hostility, and violence,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said during a news briefing in January this year.
India and China’s relations, on the other hand, have been marred with border conflicts and growing rivalry in the strategic and economic spheres.
The Galwan Valley clash in May 2020 that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese ones was a major flashpoint of China-India ties.
Since then, officials from both countries have met for 18 rounds of talks to try to agree on the disengagement of troops from the area with no success.
India has accused China of unilaterally trying to change the status quo at the border in the Line of Actual Control.
Beijing, on the other hand, has been pressing New Delhi to move on from the issue and strengthen their mutual trust.
But India has repeatedly made it clear that resolving the border issues is a must before talking about normalising relations.
“It finally takes two hands to clap and China too must have the belief in a workable relationship,” India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar said at an event in Kolkata in June this year.
“When any big power rises, it wants stability. Our downturn with China was due to them after they changed the status quo. They need to come up on understanding that relationships need to have mutual understanding,” he added.
