Last week, Biden made the insulting remarks during a Democrat Party event hosted on a California private property.
Commenting loosely about nuclear weapons in general, Biden mentioned Pakistan while bragging about his close personal relationships with the Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.
After reiterating the dubious claim that he had flown 17,000 miles with the murderous leader, for which he earned three out of four “Pinocchios” from the Washington Post last year, Biden rambled, “I’ve spent more time with Xi Jinping than any other head of state in America or the world.”
Biden then addressed the abrupt shift in subject matter to Pakistan.
“[Xi] is a person who understands what he wants, but he faces a staggering array of formidable obstacles. What are our options? The President was queried. Given the present circumstances in Russia, how should we approach this matter? Pakistan is, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous nations on earth. Unstructured nuclear weapons.”
Despite this, several events are occurring. He observed “much happening,” but he never elaborated on what he thought of Pakistan.
As reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn, the office of Pakistan’s Prime Minister released a press release on Saturday labeling President Biden’s comments “factually false and misleading” and urging the avoidance of “unnecessary comments.”
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan urged that U.S. Ambassador to Islamabad Donal Blome deliver a demarche on President Biden’s statements as soon as the official transcript of the event was made available.
The ministry of foreign affairs stated, “The U.S. envoy was informed of Pakistan’s disappointment and worry at the improper utterances, which were not grounded in truth or facts.”
Vandal Patel, the principal deputy spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, addressed the worsening situation on Tuesday, telling reporters that “the United States is confidence in Pakistan’s commitment and capability to defend nuclear facilities.”
The United States has long believed that U.S. interests necessitate a stable and prosperous Pakistan. Overall, the United States cherishes our longstanding alliance with Pakistan,” Patel stated.
When the State Department intervened to calm the situation, most critical Pakistani political players had already spoken against Biden. Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told reporters on Saturday that he was surprised by President Biden’s remarks and that U.S. officials had not raised Biden’s concerns over the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons during his recent visit to the United States in September when U.S. Secretary of Defense Anthony Blinken defended the sale of U.S. weapons to Pakistan.
In reaction to Biden’s comments on Saturday, the prime minister of the Islamic nation, Shehbaz Sharif, tweeted, “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state, and we are pleased that our nuclear assets have the best safeguards as per IAEA standards.”
We take these safety measures exceptionally seriously. He stated emphatically, “Let there be no uncertainty.”
In reaction to Biden’s comments, the prime minister’s brother and former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, said that Pakistan’s nuclear program poses no threat to any country.
Imran Khan, who served as prime minister between the Sharif brothers, replied to Biden’s statements by stating that they highlighted the “total failure of the previous government’s foreign policy and its claims of a reset of ties with the U.S.”
The instability in the country that prompted Biden’s comments was mainly brought to light under Khan’s administration, which was characterized by repeated riots by thousands-strong Muslim mobs in response to sharia, or Islamic law, perceived slights. Khan is an outspoken Islamist who has referred to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a “martyr” and advocated implementing global anti-blasphemy legislation instead of state sovereignty to protect Muslims from “Islamophobia.”
The longstanding geopolitical rivalry between Pakistan and India is even more dangerous. Both nations possess nuclear weapons and have been at war with one another for more than seven decades, with Kashmir’s claimed territory causing repeated outbreaks of violence. Jammu and Kashmir fall under Indian control, and India claims its authority over the region. Pakistan asserts that these territories are “occupied” by India and has declared its intent to seize them.
In the contested zone, there are regular attacks and battles between the Indian and Pakistani military, resulting in over 500 casualties in 2018. Indian authorities have classified Tuesday’s grenade attack on two Indian construction workers as a “hybrid terrorist” incident, claiming it was perpetrated by militants opposing Indian sovereignty in Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring rebel organizations in Kashmir supporting terrorist operations.
The enmity between the administrations of the two countries has spilled to other contexts, most recently a United Nations session this month about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Pakistan’s delegate used his time to attack India’s position on Kashmir, earning a reprimand from India’s ambassador and distracting focus from the subject at hand (Ukraine).