ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has firmly rejected what it calls “baseless and misleading” statements made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first visit to Indian-held Kashmir following last month’s Pahalgam attack, which escalated tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Modi was in the region to inaugurate a strategic railway line, but his remarks quickly took center stage. According to Indian media, the prime minister accused Pakistan of attacking “insaniyat” (humanity) and “Kashmiriyat” (Kashmiri identity) in Pahalgam. He also alleged that Pakistan is “the enemy of the poor’s bread and butter” and warned that anyone attempting to derail development in Kashmir would have to “face Narendra Modi first.”
In a swift response issued Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) categorically dismissed Modi’s comments, describing them as “a deliberate attempt to deflect international attention” from what it called ongoing human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“We are deeply dismayed that the Indian Prime Minister has once again chosen to accuse Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, without presenting a single piece of credible evidence,” the statement said.
The FO reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized disputed territory, and its final status must be determined in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people.
The statement went on to denounce India’s development claims in the region, calling them hollow amid what it termed unprecedented military occupation, suppression of civil liberties, and demographic changes in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The FO also urged the international community, including the United Nations and global human rights bodies, to hold India accountable for its actions and support the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Tensions between the two countries have intensified in recent weeks following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, which India blamed on Pakistan without presenting public evidence. The incident led to military escalation, with Indian airstrikes reportedly killing civilians and Pakistan retaliating by downing five Indian jets. Both nations conducted strikes on each other’s airbases before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on May 10 helped de-escalate the situation.
Pakistan reaffirmed its “principled support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for rights and dignity,” calling for a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict.