MEA says India’s Gen Z has one message for Pakistan’s Gen Z – ‘end terror, then talk’
Scenes from the Gen Z protest in Delhi. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has declined to comment on a wave of Pakistani social media support for the recent Gen Z students’ protests in Delhi. Instead, it redirected the conversation towards Pakistan’s longstanding record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism. The MEA spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal, made the remarks during the ministry’s weekly media briefing on Tuesday.
The exchange followed days of online commentary from Pakistani influencers, several of whom posted messages describing the Indian protesters as courageous and drawing comparisons with restrictions on dissent in Pakistan. Many of the same posts were also critical of Pakistan’s own political system, saying its citizens lack similar space to protest given the influence of the military establishment.
MEA declines to engage, pivots to terrorism
Asked about the Pakistani reactions, Jaiswal said India is not interested in responding to social media commentary from across the border. He said Pakistan has supported cross-border terrorism against India for decades, and that what Indians, including Gen Z, actually want is for Pakistan to stop backing terrorism.
The response was consistent with the ministry’s position through the protests. At an earlier briefing last week, Jaiswal had said he had “no information to share” when asked about allegations of Pakistani funding behind the demonstrations. The MEA’s fact-check unit later flagged a viral social media post that had misquoted that statement, clarifying that it misrepresented what the spokesperson actually said.
Pakistan’s foreign office stays neutral
Islamabad, for its part, has not officially endorsed or criticized the protests. Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman said the demonstrations were India’s internal matter. He said Pakistan’s government would not comment on them, keeping the state’s position distinct from the sympathetic tone struck by individual Pakistani users online.
That gap between an officially neutral Pakistani government and a more vocal domestic online reaction is what appears to have prompted questions to the MEA in the first place, even though New Delhi chose not to directly address the online activity.
