New Delhi, March 12 – India on Thursday once again criticized Pakistan, calling the country a "state sponsor of terrorism for decades" that lacks credibility when it comes to cross-border terrorism. Reacting strongly to Islamabad's allegations of India's involvement in the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the Durand Line, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Pakistan's "claimed victimhood" no longer holds any sway.
Speaking at a weekly media briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that it has become second nature for Pakistan to blame India for its misdeeds.
"We reject such baseless allegations. It has become second nature for Pakistan to blame India for its misdeeds. As a state sponsor of terrorism for decades, Pakistan has zero credibility when it comes to cross-border terrorism. No amount of storytelling is going to alter this reality, nor is anyone fooled by Pakistan's assumed victimhood," said Jaiswal.
The current round of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan began when Afghan forces launched retaliatory operations against Pakistani military installations on February 27, following Islamabad's actions targeting areas inside Afghan territory on February 21. After the Afghan attacks, Pakistan launched 'Operation Ghazab lil-Haq' (Righteous Fury) in response to what it described as "unprovoked firing" by the Afghan forces across multiple border sectors.
Earlier this week, India condemned Pakistan's air attacks on Afghanistan and criticized its hypocrisy in conducting them during the month of Ramadan, while preaching "Islamic solidarity."
"It is hypocritical to espouse high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity on the one hand, while mercilessly carrying out air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan," India's Permanent Representative, P Harish, told the UN Security Council on Monday.
"As of March 6, 2026, these attacks have resulted in the death of 185 innocent civilians, of whom around 55 percent are women and children," he said.
"India strongly condemns the airstrikes on Afghan territory, which are flagrant violations of international law and the UN Charter and the principle of state sovereignty," he said.
Speaking at a Council briefing on Afghanistan, Harish did not name Pakistan, but the diplomatically worded remarks were clearly directed against them.
Pakistan has claimed that it was attacking Afghanistan because terrorists were operating from its territory.
However, Harish pointed out that it was Islamabad that was using terrorist groups as proxies to attack neighboring countries.
"Terrorism remains a global scourge that affects humanity, and only coordinated efforts by the international community will ensure that ISIL [Islamic State], Al Qaida and their affiliates, including the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with proxies of LeT such as The Resistance Front, and those who facilitate their operations, no longer engage in cross-border terrorism," he said.
In the most recent cross-border attack, The Resistance Front carried out a religiously motivated terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April, killing 26 people.
