Western reporting on India-Pakistan escalation ‘one-sided' – ex-Indian foreign secretary
The Western media has been presenting a 'distorted' and 'one-sided' picture of the latest military standoff between India and Pakistan, former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has told RT.
On Saturday, the two nuclear powers agreed to a truce following the recent escalation in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in India's Jammu and Kashmir federal territory in late April. US President Donald Trump stated that Washington had helped mediate the cessation of hostilities.
Commenting on the developments, Sibal said that New Delhi never had any intention of escalating its limited military operation. He also criticized the US for seeking to 'take diplomatic credit' for the truce.
The retired diplomat further lamented the manner in which the escalation was reported by the Western press, which he says gave scant significance to 'what caused this in the first place.'
'The attention is being shifted to the larger issues' existing between New Delhi and Islamabad, as opposed to the deadly terrorist attack last month, he argued.
Sibal suggested that the 'Western press… totally contort and distort their reporting,' presenting a 'very one-sided picture.'
'And somehow they have a very great weakness for Pakistan despite the fact that Pakistan's links with terror are so well known,' Sibal claimed. He noted that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been hiding in the country for years before being killed by US special forces in 2011.
In late April, anonymous sources told RT that the Indian government had sent an objection to BBC India head Jackie Martin over the British broadcaster's use of the word 'militants' to refer to the perpetrators of the terrorist attack that led to the escalation of the conflict. Similar concerns were reportedly raised with other international news outlets, including the Associated Press and Reuters.
Speaking to RT around the same time, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that the West is to blame for his country's terrorism problem, which he explained stems from the 'introduction of jihad' on behalf of the West during the Soviet-Afghanistan war in the 1980s.
New Delhi has accused its neighbor of aiding and abetting Islamist militants from the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack last month, alleging that at least two of the perpetrators are Pakistani nationals. Islamabad, for its part, has strongly denied any involvement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian terrorist plot foiled in Moscow
A Ukrainian terrorist plot has been thwarted in Moscow, Russia's investigative committee has claimed. In a statement on Friday, officials announced that they had discovered plans for a terrorist attack while searching the home of a man already under investigation for 'publicly justifying terrorism.' According to the investigative committee, the authorities seized the suspect's mobile phone during a search, which contained a conversation with 'a handler from the Ukrainian special services.' The latter had allegedly instructed the suspect to retrieve an explosive device from a cache in a wooded area in the west of Moscow. 'Investigators from the [Moscow] investigative committee, together with law enforcement operatives, immediately inspected the specified location in the park, where an improvised explosive device was uncovered and retrieved,' the statement claims. According to officials, the suspect, who has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack and been remanded in custody, intended to detonate the bomb in a busy public place. During a phone conversation with his US counterpart last Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Donald Trump of several foiled terrorist attacks in Moscow ahead of Victory Day celebrations earlier this month. The Russian leader pointed the finger at Ukraine, accusing Kiev of attempting to intimidate foreign dignitaries ahead of the event, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. In early May, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky publicly stated that his country could not guarantee the safety of foreign attendees visiting the Russian capital on May 9. Russia's Foreign Ministry described the remark as tantamount to a terrorist threat. Its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, accused Ukrainian authorities of displaying 'classic terrorist behavior.' Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Kiev has on multiple occasions targeted Russian cities, including Moscow, with explosive-laden drones and used concealed bombs in several assassinations in the Russian capital and elsewhere across the country.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Makeover plan for Asia's biggest slum faces ire of residents
A plan to transform Dharavi, known globally as one of the largest slums in South Asia, is facing opposition from local residents, the Indian Express reported on Friday. Located in the heart of India's financial capital, Mumbai, Dharavi spans over 250 hectares and has attracted attention from tourists, economists, urban planners, and Hollywood. The redevelopment plan, approved by the government of Maharashtra on Wednesday, aims to build nearly 60,000 residential houses and over 13,000 commercial units for eligible tenants in the area. The total cost of the project is estimated at $11 billion. The proposal also includes improving infrastructure in the area, and could take up to seven years to complete. However, according to the Indian Express, this plan has drawn criticism from Dharavi residents, who are protesting that only those occupying ground-floor structures will be eligible for rehousing. There are over 100,000 ground-floor structures in Dharavi, with at least 150,000 to 200,000 tenants residing on the second and third floors, Rajendra Korde, president of the Dharavi Redevelopment Samiti, told the outlet. He questioned the survey conducted by the agency working on the project. According to government officials, Dharavi houses over 600,000 people. The Dharavi Redevelopment Plan (DRP) is a joint venture between the Adani Group, one of India's largest conglomerates led by Gautam Adani, and the Maharashtra state government. Since securing the project, the DRP has been conducting a survey to identify the total number of residents in Dharavi who are eligible. It estimates that 72,000 housing and commercial units built on 47.20 hectares will be required, according to the master plan presented to the authorities, the report noted. While Dharavi is known as a densely populated slum, it is also a thriving hub for small businesses. Over the decades, it has emerged as a vital industrial zone for leather, textiles, and other small-scale exports. The Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office has stated that the project is designed to preserve Dharavi's unique commercial identity. The master plan for Dharavi includes creating five industry clusters: garment, pottery, leather, food, and recycling, as well as improving connectivity in the redeveloped areas.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
‘Terrorism and dialogue cannot go together' – India on talks with Pakistan
India has reiterated that 'terrorism and dialogue cannot go together' in response to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's remark that Islamabad is ready for dialogue with its neighbor. Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underscored the country's unchanged position on engagement with Islamabad. 'And as far as the issue of terrorism is concerned, any discussion with Pakistan will focus on the list of terrorists we had provided to them some years ago – they should hand them over to us.' Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday echoed that stance, insisting that Pakistan must hand over designated terrorists, including Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed, the respective leaders of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT), 'if it is serious about talks.' Both men are designated as terrorists in India but are also on the United Nations (UN) 1267 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List. 'It would be in Pakistan's interest to uproot the nurseries of terrorism operating on its soil with its own hands,' Singh said. Pakistan Should 'Uproot' Its 'Nurseries Of Terrorism' - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Speaking earlier this week at a Pakistan-Türkiye-Azerbaijan trilateral summit in Azerbaijan alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev, Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif said his country wants 'peace in the region,' which requires 'talks on the table' on Kashmir, a region that has been claimed by both countries ever since their independence from Britain in 1947. 'I have said in all earnest that if India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity of purpose, Pakistan would be willing to talk to India on this issue as well,' Sharif was quoted by The Dawn newspaper as on Kashmir, the Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated that the issue would be resolved bilaterally when Pakistan vacates the part of the region which it holds 'illegally and unlawfully.' The statements come after New Delhi launched military action against targets in Pakistan, which it labeled as 'terrorist camps.' The operation was a response to the April 22 massacre of 26 people in Pahalgam, in India's union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organization. Islamabad denied any involvement in the attack, with Pakistani top officials claiming the country was itself a 'victim of terrorism.' India insisted that it only targeted locations linked with terrorist organizations, and not Pakistani military or civilian targets. Islamabad, however, accused Delhi of targeting civilians. It later retaliated by attacking Indian military sites, leading to further escalation by both countries. After a brief but intense conflict, a ceasefire was announced on May 10.
