Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 11: The Congress on Saturday criticised the Union government over what it described as a diplomatic setback, after reports of Pakistan being involved in facilitating talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised concerns on X, questioning India’s inability to prevent Pakistan from gaining a role in the West Asia peace process.
Referring to the ongoing discussions, Ramesh said the global community is hopeful that the talks would pave the way for lasting peace between the US and Iran, while also expressing concern over continued tensions involving Israel in the region. He stressed the importance of restoring stability, particularly in the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz.
The Congress leader argued that Pakistan’s reported involvement undermines India’s long-standing policy of diplomatically isolating Islamabad over terrorism-related concerns. He also referred to the recent ceasefire developments in West Asia, noting that while they are being cautiously welcomed, the broader conflict had begun with targeted strikes in Iran earlier this year.
Linking the developments to India’s foreign policy stance, Ramesh alleged that recent diplomatic engagements, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, had impacted India’s global positioning.
He further questioned why India, as a key member and current president of the BRICS grouping, had not taken a proactive role in initiating peace or mediation efforts, especially given that countries like Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are part of the expanded BRICS+ framework.
Ramesh also contrasted the current situation with the diplomatic efforts of the previous Congress-led government under Manmohan Singh, stating that Pakistan had been effectively isolated after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Raising further questions, he asked how Pakistan managed to secure a place in the current diplomatic process despite past incidents such as the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, and the efforts made by India to isolate it internationally following that event.
The remarks come amid evolving geopolitical dynamics in West Asia, with multiple countries closely watching the outcome of the US-Iran engagement.