Pakistan slams Indian FM’s remarks as mere ‘Megaphone Theatrics’

WEB DESK: The Foreign Office has issued a stinging rebuke to Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, describing his recent comments on Pakistan’s diplomatic mediation between the United States and Iran as “undiplomatic” and nothing more than “megaphone theatrics”.

The war of words follows reports that Islamabad is quietly preparing to host high-stakes talks aimed at de-escalating the burgeoning conflict in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Jaishankar told Indian media that New Delhi had no intention of becoming a “Dalaal (broker) nation” in global geopolitics, according to the Express Tribune.

He further dismissed Pakistan’s current role, alleging that the country had been “used” by Washington since 1981.

The remarks, which have drawn domestic criticism in India for their blunt tone, appear to have been triggered by Pakistan’s facilitating of indirect communications between the Trump administration and Tehran.

A ‘deep sense of frustration’

Responding during a weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi suggested that the Indian minister’s rhetoric was a symptom of diplomatic envy.

“Such undiplomatic rhetoric betrays the essence of frustration. When arguments run thin, invective appears to fill the gap,” Andrabi remarked.

He asserted that Pakistan would remain “anchored in restraint and decorum” rather than engaging in “rhetorical excesses”.

The sentiment was echoed by senior Pakistani officials. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif hit back with equal vitriol, suggesting Jaishankar saw himself as a “hi-fi dalal”, while former caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani lamented that reducing diplomacy to “name-calling” served only domestic political interests rather than regional peace.

Critics in both New Delhi and Islamabad have suggested that the sharp language reflects India’s unease at Pakistan’s sudden return to the centre of Middle Eastern diplomacy.

High-stakes diplomacy in Islamabad

Despite the regional bickering, the stakes in Islamabad remain exceptionally high. Pakistan is reportedly making final preparations for a potential meeting between US and Iranian representatives in the federal capital.

While Tehran initially denied any engagement with Washington, it later acknowledged receiving a 15-point proposal from the United States via Pakistani intermediaries.

Speculation is mounting that the US delegation could be led by Vice President JD Vance. According to reports by CNN, the Trump administration is seeking a swift “off-ramp” to the Middle East war, leveraging Pakistan’s unique strategic position and its historical ties with both the White House and the Kremlin’s allies in Tehran.

While the timing remains fluid, the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough in Islamabad marks a significant shift in the region’s geopolitical landscape.