Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has responded to Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks about Pakistan, calling him a “nasli dalali” while addressing criticism over Islamabad’s reported diplomatic role.
His comments came after Jaishankar, during an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis, said, “We are not a dalaal (broker) nation,” while referring to Pakistan’s reported involvement in potential United States (US)–Iran talks.
Reacting to the statement, Asif questioned India’s diplomatic record, saying that Jaishankar comes from a family of diplomats and that “dalali (brokerage) is in their blood.”
He said that Pakistan’s role has been to facilitate dialogue and bring parties to the table, adding that such efforts should not be misrepresented.
Referring to India’s past attempts to position itself as a mediator during the Ukraine–Russia war, Asif said those efforts did not produce results and the claims made at the time did not match the ground reality.
He further stated that India’s leadership, including Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and senior ministers, had failed on both diplomatic and military fronts in relation to Pakistan.
Asif added that the image built around India’s leadership had gradually weakened.
Jaishankar had also said there was “nothing new” about Pakistan’s role, adding that the country had been “used” by the United States since 1981.
The remarks came amid reports that Pakistan could host talks between the United States and Iran, with US President Donald Trump indicating support for Islamabad’s involvement.
