External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday launched a stinging rebuke of Washington's increasing dealings with Islamabad, recalling the United States that Osama Bin Laden—the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks—had been found residing in a Pakistani garrison town.
Addressing the ET World Leaders Forum, Jaishankar had claimed that the US has consistently opted to ignore its difficult past with Pakistan at every point when political expediency required it.
Referencing the 2011 raid that killed Bin Laden in Abbottabad, he expressed skepticism about Washington's trust in the same military that had sheltered the world's most wanted terrorist. "They have a history between them. And they have a history of forgetting that history. It's not the first time that we have seen things," Jaishankar said.
Pointing out the irony, he went on to say: "The curious thing is that if you look sometimes at the certificates stating that someone in the military will award, it's the same military that invaded Abbottabad and discovered who you are there."
The minister continued to warn that countries should not put short-term interests ahead of principles, adding: "So the problem, in a sense, is when countries are very concerned about doing the politics of convenience. They continue to try to do this. Some of it can be tactical, some of it can have other advantages or calculations."
Jaishankar also lambasted the US at the same gathering for pressurizing India over the latter's energy alliance with Russia, wondering why Washington had not extended the same yardstick to China or the European Union—both among the largest purchasers of Russian crude oil and LNG.
He went further to emphasize that India categorically rejects third-party intervention in relations with Pakistan, highlighting that the stance has had the country's national consensus for more than half a century. His remarks were against the background of previous US President Donald Trump making repeated claims to have averted a possible India-Pakistan conflict in May.
New Delhi-Washington ties have also come under stress after Trump decision to raise tariffs on Indian exports to 50 per cent and levy a 25 per cent higher duty on India's imports of Russian crude. The additional levy has been already put into effect, while the additional tariffs are to be implemented from August 27.
