The Congress on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Centre’s foreign policy, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh alleging that India has failed to diplomatically isolate Pakistan despite recent geopolitical developments.
In a strongly worded statement, Ramesh pointed to reports of Pakistan hosting a second round of talks between the United States and Iran, calling attention to what he described as Islamabad’s growing diplomatic relevance. Referring to remarks made earlier by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, he said, “The ‘dalal’ country, as the erudite and always nattily dressed External Affairs Minister described it, is reportedly hosting the second round of US-Iran peace talks today.”
Ramesh also highlighted Pakistan’s fragile economic situation, noting that the country had recently borrowed billions from Gulf nations to manage its debt obligations. “Pakistan’s economy is clearly in dire straits and it depends on largesse given to it by friendly countries,” he said, adding that despite this, Islamabad is “playing a pivotal diplomatic role.”
The Congress leader further accused Pakistan of a continued record of supporting terrorism, citing the sheltering of Osama bin Laden and alleging involvement in past attacks, including the Pahalgam terror attack.
Targeting the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh said the current administration’s foreign policy approach had failed to build sustained international pressure on Pakistan. “It is abundantly clear that the substance and style of Prime Minister Modi’s regional and global engagement and narrative management have failed to isolate Pakistan,” he said.
Drawing a comparison with the previous United Progressive Alliance government, Ramesh claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been more successful in shaping global opinion against Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Ramesh also expressed concern over Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir gaining traction internationally, particularly in the United States. He alleged that Munir’s remarks had contributed to heightened tensions in the region and claimed that his growing proximity to former US President Donald Trump represented “a particularly severe setback for India.”
“That the Field Marshal and his colleagues seem to have succeeded in managing the Trump ecosystem of family and associates much better than India is obvious,” Ramesh said, calling it a “monumental setback” for India’s foreign policy.
Urging a comprehensive overhaul of India’s diplomatic strategy, the Congress leader stated that the current leadership was “simply incapable” of delivering the required reset.
