Pakistan dismisses Indian NSA Ajit Doval’s comments as unsurprising

ISLAMABAD—The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday officially rejected recent comments made by India’s National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, asserting that his rhetoric reflects “imagined historical vendettas” and hate-mongering rather than competent statecraft.

The Foreign Office issued this statement in response to media queries regarding Doval’s “avenging history” remarks. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted that Pakistan has taken serious note of the speech delivered to young delegates in India earlier this week. She argued that such hyperbole jeopardizes regional stability and undermines responsible diplomacy.

“We have seen the reports on remarks made by the National Security Advisor of India. Such rhetoric is hardly surprising coming from camouflaged hate-mongers, for whom imagined historical vendettas are a substitute for responsible statecraft,” the spokesperson stated.

The reaction follows Doval’s January 10 address at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue. 1 During the event, the Indian official referenced the nation’s colonial past and advocated for bolstering India’s power in various sectors to “avenge” what he described as a “terrible history of assaults and oppression.” In his speech, Doval argued that India’s future should be inspired by the sacrifices of historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Bhagat Singh.

While the speech was presented as a message to the youth regarding national development and security, the rhetoric of “revenge” and historical restitution has drawn sharp criticism across the region. In Pakistan, these comments are perceived as politically fraught and potentially destabilizing. Doval maintained that India must develop economically and socially beyond its borders, suggesting that the drive to “avenge” past oppression could serve as a catalyst for the country’s advancement.