May 31, 2025 02:07 PM IST
MJ Akbar hit out at Pakistan during a speech in Copenhagen, calling it a double-faced nation that uses dialogue as a cover for terrorism.
Former Union minister MJ Akbar on Friday delivered a sharp rebuke to Pakistan during his address to the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen. MJ Akbar, part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, questioned the logic behind engaging in dialogue with Islamabad.
“Even well-meaning friends often ask why India doesn’t talk to Pakistan,” MJ Akbar said, before branding Pakistan a “double-faced nation”. He added, “Which face are we supposed to talk to? Pakistan’s government speaks with a forked tongue — which one do we respond to?”
Criticising Pakistan’s longstanding role in fomenting unrest in India, Akbar further said, “A snake is never killed by its own poison,” alluding to the dangers of the terror networks it nurtures.
Talks with Pakistan are “nothing but a bluff”
He further highlighted how India has made efforts to talk with Pakistan, saying that those talks are “nothing but a bluff.” He said that talks with Pakistan have become an excuse, and that Pakistan uses this time period of talks to prepare itself for the next terrorist attack.
Highlighting that India will not waste its time on talks, he said “we will talk on issues that matter”. This included the issues of criminal accountability and “the true status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, how it can come back to us”.
MJ Akbar talks about PM Modi’s leadership
MJ Akbar also talked about the leadership of Narendra Modi, stating that he has called out Pakistan’s bluff. He said “this is an important historic moment you should feel proud of this leader”.
He also highlighted how Modi has made efforts to bring Pakistan “to its senses”. Calling Pakistan a nation with a “genetic disorder,” he said murder and terrorism lie in Pakistan’s genes. Talking about the foreign policy, he said Modi has given a new dimension to it. As traditionally nations are told that they cannot change their neighbours, but Modi told the world that “neighbours are not described by distance but by reach,” MJ Akbar said.
(With ANI inputs)
