The government lashed out at Pakistan at an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis on Wednesday, with the Center criticizing Islamabad over its alleged role as a mediator between the US and Iran in the ongoing conflict.
In a sharp response to concerns over Pakistani mediation efforts, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: “We are not a country Dalal (The Mediator) Nation,” news agency PTI reported, citing sources.
The response came even as the opposition questioned India’s position and response to the rapidly developing situation in West Asia. These statements come even as Pakistan emerges as a potential host for negotiations between the United States and Iran, as US President Donald Trump appears to support Islamabad’s role.
Jaishankar added that there was “nothing new” about Pakistan’s role, as the US had been “using” the country since 1981, PTI reported, citing sources.
During the meeting, the government added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump that the war must end soon, stressing that the ongoing conflict is harmful to all parties.
The government rejects the accusation of “silence”
The government also rejected opposition claims that New Delhi has remained silent on the crisis. According to news agency sources, the government confirmed, “We are commenting and responding.”
Regarding the question of India’s response to the developments in Iran, the government said that due protocol had been followed. She noted that when the Iranian embassy was opened, the Foreign Minister immediately visited it and signed the book of condolence, in response to allegations of a delayed or weak response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike.
The opposition describes the response as “unsatisfactory.”
But opposition leaders remained unconvinced. They described the government’s responses at the meeting as “unsatisfactory” and demanded that the issue be fully discussed in Parliament.
Congress leader Tariq Anwar criticized the Centre, saying Pakistan seemed to be playing the role of mediator while “we remain silent spectators.” He called for a debate in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193 and in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 176.
The high-level meeting, held in the Parliament Complex, saw the participation of key members of the Ministerial Committee on Security, including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Health Minister JP Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were also present. Foreign Minister Vikram Masri briefed the leaders on a detailed presentation.
From the Opposition, leaders including Tariq Anwar, Mukul Wasnik (Congress), Dharmendra Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Sasmit Patra (BJP) attended the discussions.
