Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated that despite being seven times larger in size, possessing an expansive landmass and having centuries of statehood experience, India continues to suffer from an insecurity syndrome — in sharp contrast to Pakistan, which, with only 77 years of statehood and a comparatively smaller geography and population, demonstrates greater composure and maturity.
Referring to the tragic Jafarabad Express terrorist attack, Ahsan Iqbal noted that Pakistan responded in a responsible and mature manner by acknowledging internal security lapses and committing to address them, even while credible evidence pointed towards foreign involvement.
Conversely, he observed that India’s reaction to the Pahalgam tragedy was impulsive and reactive — rather than acknowledging its own security shortcomings, it hastily shifted blame onto Pakistan without any substantiated evidence.
Iqbal further emphasised that since 1993, no political leader in Pakistan has resorted to exploiting anti-India sentiment for electoral purposes. In stark contrast, in India, invoking the “Pakistan card” and stirring anti-Pakistan sentiments remains a recurrent feature of pre-election political campaigns.
He described the irresponsible conduct of the Indian government and media as a striking irony, remarking, “What an irony!”
