 "‘You don’t have to be a big country to be a risky country’: Jaishankar’s dig at Pakistan | Raisina Dialogue 2025")
On the second day of India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, Raisina Dialogue, a high-powered panel that included Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar touched on various topics, including the need for a global order and threats posed by “risky” countries, even if they are relatively small in size.
While taking part in a panel discussion on the theme “Thrones and Thorns: Defending the Integrity of Nations”, Jaishankar mentioned Pakistan in the context of the global order.
The minister mentioned that an international order is necessary for the world– similar to how a domestic order is crucial for a nation.
“Risky” country status not dependent on size
Flagging the threats that might arise in the absence of an international order, he said, “It’s not just big countries who will benefit if there is no world order. Any country which will have extreme positions will use disorder to its advantage,” he said, in what appeared to be a dig aimed at Pakistan.
He mentioned clearly that to be a “risky” country, one does not need to be a big one– as is evidenced in the case of Pakistan, which India says continues to sponsor terrorism (despite dwindling resources).
While speaking about the inconsistencies int he present international order, and the need to “audit” it, he also used the example of Pakistani aggression to illustrate his point.
“After second World order, the longest standing illegal occupation by another country pertains to what we saw in Kashmir. When we went to the United Nations, what was an invasion was made into a dispute. The attacker and the victim were put on par.”
Jaishankar mentioned that UK, Canada, Belgium, Australia, USA were the culpable parties. “We speak today of political interference. When West goes into other countries it is democracy in danger. When others come to West, it’s malign interference! It’s important to audit the working of the world,” he said.
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Further critiquing the “old international order” that has existed in more or less a similar form since the end of the Second World War in 1945, he said “[it] was a product of its times. The rule-makers and rule-takers had somewhat different perspectives. If it suits your interest somebody is good or not good. And you apply that order for same issues differently.
“Afghanistan ruled by Taliban 1.0 was welcomed in Oslo. One British General described them as a country boy’s with their own honour code. You have extremists with suit and tie and that’s okay,” Jaishankar said.
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