‘You Don’t Need To Be Big To Be A Threat’: Jaishankar Exposes Pakistan At Raisina Dialogue

On the second day of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar underscored the necessity of a robust global order while addressing security threats posed by “risky” nations, regardless of their size.

The Need for a Global Order

Speaking on the panel titled “Thrones and Thorns: Defending the Integrity of Nations,” Jaishankar stressed that an international order is as essential for global stability as a domestic order is for national governance. Highlighting the risks of disorder, he stated that even relatively small nations could exploit instability to their advantage.

In what appeared to be a pointed remark at Pakistan, Jaishankar remarked, “It’s not just big countries that benefit from disorder. Any country with extreme positions will try to use it to its advantage.” He further stated that being a “risky” nation does not depend on a country’s size, citing Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of terrorism despite its declining resources.

Pakistan’s Role and Kashmir Issue

Jaishankar also addressed historical inconsistencies in the global order, particularly referencing Pakistan’s aggression. He pointed out that after World War II, one of the longest-standing illegal occupations occurred in Kashmir. He criticized the United Nations for turning what was an invasion into a mere dispute, equating the aggressor with the victim.

He also named several Western nations, including the UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, and the US, as complicit in this approach. “We speak today of political interference. When the West intervenes, it’s framed as democracy in danger. When others do the same, it’s labeled malign interference,” he said, calling for an audit of the world’s power structures.

Criticism of Double Standards in International Relations

Jaishankar also took aim at what he described as double standards in global governance. “The international order that emerged after World War II was a product of its time. The rule-makers and rule-takers had different perspectives. If it suits their interest, a group or nation is deemed acceptable or not,” he remarked.

He pointed out the contrasting treatment of Afghanistan under the Taliban, noting that “Taliban 1.0 was welcomed in Oslo, and a British general described them as ‘country boys with an honor code.’ But extremists in suits and ties are considered acceptable.”

Panel of Global Leaders

The panel discussion featured prominent figures, including:

• Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister of Sweden
• Dominique Hasler, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Liechtenstein
• Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovak Republic
• Dubai Abulhoul, Founder of the Fiker Institute, UAE

Jaishankar’s remarks at the Raisina Dialogue reaffirmed India’s position on the need for a fair and consistent global order, while questioning the West’s selective approach in global politics.