Pakistan protests Japan's reference to cross-border terrorism in India joint statement

Pakistan has formally protested to Japan over the inclusion of a reference to cross-border terrorism in a recent India-Japan joint statement, accusing New Delhi of influencing Tokyo to adopt what Islamabad described as a "one-sided" position on the issue.

The diplomatic protest, disclosed by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry during its weekly media briefing, comes after India and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and stressed the need to hold perpetrators, organisers and financiers of cross-border terrorism accountable in their joint statement issued during Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to India. The reference drew a sharp response from Islamabad, which rejected the language as inconsistent with the situation on the ground.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrab, Pakistan conveyed its concerns to Japan through diplomatic channels and lodged a formal démarche over the wording used in the joint statement.

"We have been conveying our concerns to Japan through diplomatic channels. Whenever there is an engagement with India, India forces the inclusion of such references in its joint statements, not just with Japan but also with other countries," Andrab said.

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He alleged that the reference ignored Pakistan's role in counter-terrorism efforts and accused India of shaping the narrative in bilateral statements.

"The Japanese government's endorsement of such one-sided formulations ignores the undeniable contribution and sacrifices made by Pakistan. We have indicated that such language is inconsistent with the facts on the ground," he said.

Despite its objections, Pakistan maintained that the diplomatic exchange had not altered bilateral ties with Japan.

According to Andrab, Japanese officials assured Islamabad that there had been "no shift" in Tokyo's policy towards Pakistan following the démarche. He added that the two countries would continue to engage through established diplomatic mechanisms and raise concerns through regular consultations.

"We were assured by the Japanese side that there is no shift in Japan's policy towards Pakistan. We have a number of institutionalised mechanisms in our bilateral relations, and through regular consultations, any issues between the two countries are brought up," he said.

The spokesperson also accused India of exerting pressure on partner countries to include references targeting Pakistan in joint statements.

"We would not want Japan to be swayed by the pressures that India exerts to include such mala fide references against Pakistan in joint statements or other documents," he said.

The episode highlights Islamabad's increasing sensitivity to references on cross-border terrorism in India's joint statements with key strategic partners. India has consistently sought stronger international support for its position on terrorism in bilateral and multilateral engagements, while Pakistan has repeatedly rejected allegations linking it to cross-border terrorism and has objected to language it considers directed against it.