Pakistan ramping up anti-India rhetoric around the word: Officials

(Reporting by Sidhant Sibal)

Indian officials have said Pakistan is behind attempts to raise anti-India rhetoric around the world to the worst levels in five years. Officials said this in connection with the pro-Khalistan rallies organised with Islamabad's backing outside the Indian missions in London and Washington DC.

The rally by 10-15 pro-Khalistan separatists took place on January 26 in the presence of significant numbers of media personnel representing Pakistani news organisations. But the demonstrations fizzled out in the face of much higher turnout by Indian counter-demonstrators who organised gatherings to mark Republic Day.

The pro-Khalistan demonstration in London was carried out by an equally small delegation which raised some hackles by burning the Indian flag. India has raised the issue with the UK, officials told WION.

Officials in India's establishment say the return of cynical support to pro-Khalistan demonstrations are a result of Islamabad's growing frustration with its diplomatic isolation within South Asia as well as the persistence of Balochistan protest groups around the world, for which it blames India.

Pro-Khalistan rallies with Pakistan's support have in the recent past been organised in London by Pakistan-origin British MP Nazir Ahmed. There have also been sporadic rallies in Canada. The Canadian government has said it views the pro-Khalistan elements as a terrorist threat. 

Islamabad has spent the last few months calling on New Delhi to resume the dialogue it had suspended after the September 2016 attack on an Indian Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri. But talks, official or otherwise, with Pakistan are unlikely given that elections are around the corner, Hindustan Times reported.

India had stepped up its efforts through 2016 a d 2017 to isolate Pakistan diplomatically on the global stage, to significant success. It pulled out of the 2016 SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad citing Pakistan's continued backing of terrorism in the region. Other SAARC nations - Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka - reacted to India's withdrawal by issuing statements that they too were skipping the Islamabad meet. SAARC has not met since, even as the other countries have continued meeting under other forums such as BIMSTEC.