Copenhagen: Former Union Minister MJ Akbar, who is part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, delivered a strong rebuke to Pakistan during his address to the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen on Friday. Speaking candidly about India’s stance on dialogue with Pakistan, Akbar questioned the very logic of engaging in talks with Islamabad.
“Even well-meaning friends often ask why India doesn’t talk to Pakistan,” Akbar said, before branding Pakistan a “double-faced nation.” He added, “Which face are we supposed to talk to? Pakistan’s government speaks with a forked tongue — which one do we respond to?”
He accused Pakistan of playing a dangerous game with peace, stating, “A snake is never killed by its own poison,” in reference to the terror networks it harbours. Akbar stressed that India had made efforts to engage in talks, but said those talks were “nothing but a bluff.” According to him, Pakistan only uses the period of dialogue to prepare for its next terrorist attack.
Emphasising that India would not waste time on fruitless discussions, Akbar said, “We will talk on issues that matter,” referring to criminal accountability and “the true status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, how it can come back to us.”
MJ Akbar also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he has called out Pakistan’s bluff. “This is an important historic moment — you should feel proud of this leader,” he said. He claimed that Modi has made efforts to bring Pakistan “to its senses” and called Pakistan a nation with a “genetic disorder,” stating that murder and terrorism lie in its genes.
Speaking on foreign policy, Akbar said Modi has changed the traditional understanding of diplomacy. “Traditionally nations are told that they cannot change their neighbours, but Modi told the world that ‘neighbours are not described by distance but by reach,’” he said.
