Why S Jaishankar’s comments on Asim Munir have riled Pakistan

At the summit, Jaishankar laid responsibility for terrorism against India squarely on Pakistan’s military leadership, citing the existence of training camps and institutional backing for extremist groups.

“When you look at the terrorism, when you look at the training camps, when you look at the sort of policy of a kind of, I would say, almost ideological hostility towards India, where does that come from? It comes from the army,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by NDTV.

He urged India not to define itself in relation to Pakistan, arguing that the two countries should not be treated as equals.

“I can only say that at the end of the day, look at the state of Pakistan and, you know, see the differentials and the capabilities and, frankly, the reputation on either side. I think, look, we should not get over-obsessed and hyphenate ourselves with them,” he said.

Jaishankar added that India would continue to “deal with” the challenge posed by Pakistan. In remarks seen as a veiled reference to Pakistan Army chief Asif Munir, he drew a sharp analogy. “Like there are good terrorists and bad terrorists, there are good military leaders and not-so-good ones,” he said.

Munir, who was earlier elevated to the rank of Field Marshal — only the second Pakistani officer after General Ayub Khan to receive the honour — was recently appointed to the new post of Chief of Defence Forces.

Operation Sindoor and military accountability

Jaishankar was also asked about India’s handling of Operation Sindoor, launched in May in response to the April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, including women and children. He stressed that India operates within well-defined institutional and democratic constraints.

“I think where India is concerned, there are things we do, and there are things we don’t. We have rules, we have norms. If we take any step, we are accountable in this country, to the people, to the media, to the civil society,” he said.

Comparing India and Pakistan, he added, “would be doing ourselves an injustice”.

During Operation Sindoor, Indian forces struck several terror camps and infrastructure targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India also damaged key Pakistani military facilities, including the Nur Khan Chaklala, Rafiqui and Rahim Yar Khan airbases — damage later confirmed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including several F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged.

The confrontation ended after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart to seek a ceasefire. India has firmly rejected claims by the Trump administration that Washington mediated the truce.

Pakistan’s response

Islamabad responded sharply to Jaishankar’s comments.

“Pakistan categorically rejects and condemns the highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible comments made by the Indian External Affairs Minister,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi was quoted as saying.

Andrabi rejected accusations against Pakistan’s military, describing state institutions, including the armed forces, as a “pillar of national security”. He said the May clashes demonstrated Pakistan’s resolve to defend itself against any aggression in a “befitting, effective, yet responsible manner”.

The spokesperson also accused India of running a “propaganda campaign” aimed at defaming Pakistan’s institutions and leadership.

Putin’s visit and India’s foreign policy

Jaishankar also addressed President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to India, describing India–Russia ties as unusually stable in global politics.

“India, Russia have actually been among the steadiest big power or big country relationships in the world,” he said, adding that both sides were now expanding economic co-operation.

“It was about building dimensions and facets which it lacked or didn’t have in enough measure.”

Rejecting suggestions that Moscow ties could strain relations with Washington, Jaishankar said India would not accept external vetoes over its diplomacy.

“I disagree, everybody knows that India has relations with all the major countries of the world… for any country to expect to have a veto or a say in how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition.”

He added: “We have multiple relationships, we have a freedom of choice.”

Jaishankar also highlighted bilateral initiatives, describing the Mobility Labour Agreement as a way for Indians to “much more seamlessly find work opportunities in Russia”, and calling the joint fertiliser venture “substantial”.

(With inputs from agencies)