Jaishankar’s crude remarks ‘driven by frustration’, says FO

• Pakistan’s approach anchored in restraint, not ‘megaphone theatrics’, asserts spox
• Indian opposition derides Modi govt over Islamabad’s rising diplomatic relevance
• Congress party calls it ‘damning indictment’ of New Delhi’s foreign policy

NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD: A day after the Indian foreign minister expressed anger and hissed expletives over Islamabad’s mediation in indirect peace talks underway between Iran and the United States, Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday termed the language “undiplomatic” and reflective of frustration.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said on Wednesday that India cannot act as a ‘broker’ nation in global geopolitics, using an Urdu/Hindi term that means ‘brothel keeper’, and is considered a derogatory and abusive term in Sou­th Asia, by and large. He was referring to conce­rns raised by the opposition over Pakistan’s em­­­ergence as a mediator in the Middle East crisis.

Responding to the remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson said such rhetoric “betrays a deeper sense of frustration”.

“When arguments run thin, invective appears to fill the gap. Pakistan does not subscribe to such megaphone theatrics. Our approach is anchored in restraint, decorum and not in rhetorical excesses,” the spokesperson said during a weekly press briefing.

In India, the opposition Congress Party also took a dig at the Modi government on Thursday over Jaishankar’s remarks.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the dapper and long-experienced Jaishankar is doing his best to cover up India’s “extreme embarrassment” and the setback to its regional diplomacy from Pakistan’s emergence as a mediator and facilitator of talks to end the current war in West Asia, The Telegraph said.

Ramesh said that Pakistan being considered for a mediating role is the most damning indictment of both the substance and style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomacy, which has been full of bombast and marked by cowardice.

The Congress leader claimed that Pakistan stood isolated after it had allegedly carried out the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, because Dr Manmohan Singh’s government was able to convince the world of Pakistan’s “nefarious role”.

However, Pakistan has only emerged as a more relevant actor, and after May 10, 2025, it has become clear that Field Marshal Asim Munir had become a favourite of US President Donald Trump and his team, Ramesh said.

“The External Affairs Minister said last night that India is not a broker country. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the colossal failures in our diplomacy, outreach and narrative management have made a broken country a broker country,” Ramesh said. “That is the self-styled Vishwaguru’s singular contribution to our diplomatic record, which no amount of one-liners from the EAM can erase,” he said.

The Congress on Wednesday also had a swipe at the government, saying the failure of “Modi huglomacy” is that a broken country is now poised to be a broker country.

Tagging a media report on Jaishankar’s re­­m­­arks, Congress’ media and publicity departm­e­­nt head Pawan Kheraha, in a social media post, said, “Was India a ‘Broker Country’ when Modi was desperate to mediate between Russia & Ukra­­ine? Selective brokering or selective memory?”

The government told the all-party meeting that Modi has conveyed to the US president that the war in West Asia between the US-Israel and Iran must end soon as it is hurting everyone.

Sources said that the government refuted the opposition’s charge that New Delhi was silent on the situation, asserting that “we are commenting and responding”.

The government is also said to have informed the parties that its prime concern is ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora living in the Gulf region and fulfilling domestic energy needs. On that count, the government said it has been successful so far.

The opposition, however, said the answers provided at the meeting by the government were “unsatisfactory” and demanded that a debate be held on the West Asia situation in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Our correspondent in New Delhi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026