India on Wednesday firmly rejected Pakistan’s remarks supporting a banned terrorist organisation, asserting that Islamabad has “no locus standi” to comment on its internal affairs or judicial processes. Responding to media queries, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi “categorically” dismissed the statement issued by Pakistan.
He emphasised that such comments were unsurprising given Pakistan’s track record. Jaiswal accused the neighbouring country of backing terrorism and said its statement effectively condoned violence and the killing of innocent civilians. He further urged Pakistan to focus on its own record, calling on it to introspect over “systematic human rights violations” instead of spreading what he termed as “misleading narratives.”
The response came after Pakistan commented on recent judicial proceedings in India concerning a banned terror outfit. On Tuesday, a Delhi court sentenced Asiya Andrabi, chief of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, to life imprisonment under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Her associates, Fehmeeda and Nasreen, were also awarded 30-year jail terms in the same case.
The trio had been convicted earlier under multiple provisions of the UAPA as well as sections of the Indian Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, and offences against the state.
India has consistently maintained that issues concerning national security and judicial actions are strictly internal matters. It has repeatedly called on Pakistan to end support for terrorism and desist from interfering in its domestic affairs.
