Tripping up the Pakistani foreign office spokesperson is easy
The folks at Pakistan’s foreign office, especially the luckless spokesperson, are perennial favourites here on this blog. It’s a simple two-toned make-believe world out there. When not in denial, they are engaged in offensive defence — charges against Pakistan are “totally baseless” and any attempt to coerce Pakistan, say by hot pursuit’, will be greeted with a “befitting response”. The last time someone did not mention hot pursuit, the spokesperson’s trotted out a ‘nuclear holocaust’.
Take for example the latest instance. It was not even clear whether A K Antony, India’s defence minister, even mentioned the phrase “hot pursuit” (Update: he didn’t) for Tasnim Aslam to declare:
“First of all we have to check the veracity of the statement. If indeed the statement is true, we are surprised that a statement of this nature, which can only be described as irresponsible, has been made.” [The Hindu]
The reporter who asked this question remains anonymous but might well have asked the question to set her up for the yorker that followed: what about hot pursuit by Americans chasing Taliban militants back across the Durand line?
the americans by giving aid, have also bought territorial rights over pursuing terrorists in paki soil, along with the so called compliance 🙂 which isnt there. so maybe we shud give pakis arms aid, and then get the territorial rights for hot pursuit.
Nitin: Tasneem Aslam could provide enough material for many of your “levity” series. I gravitate to the articles carrying her name because I know there’s almost certainly cheap entertainment to be had 🙂
Vatsan, India does give arms aid to Pakistan. Did you forget that India gave $25,000,000 to Pakistan a year or two ago?