- Indian government slammed Pakistan Defence Minister’s award remarks.
- Seychelles rejected fabrication claims, confirming award’s prior establishment.
- Modi received award for green leadership, Blue Economy, climate action.
The Indian government hit back sharply at Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif over his recent remarks on “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Seychelles, saying he had no day job and passes the time by making silly comments on matters beyond his understanding.
Responding to Asif’s criticism, government sources told NDTV, “That Khawaja Asif is mentally unstable is a known fact. That he could be entrusted with his current responsibility says much about today’s Pakistan. Clearly, he has no day job and passes time by making silly comments on matters of which he has little knowledge. Envy is always a bad motivation, particularly so from someone steeped in hate speech.”
Khwaja Asif Targeted PM Modi
The response came after Asif described the honour as an “engineered recognition” and alleged that it had been hastily created ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Seychelles. Citing reports of typographical errors in an early version of the citation, the Pakistani minister claimed it was “the most embarrassing story ever”.
The honour has been conferred upon Prime Minister for his green leadership, and efforts towards advancing the interests of developing countries and his longstanding commitment towards promoting the Blue Economy, climate action, sustainable management of ocean resources, and the developmental aspirations of Small Island Developing States. This is the first time that this distinguished honour has been bestowed.
Seychelles Rejects Pakistan’s Claim
However, the Seychelles government has firmly rejected suggestions that the award was fabricated or created specifically for the Indian Prime Minister’s visit.
In an official statement, the Office of the President of Seychelles clarified that the Order of the Guardian of the Blue Horizon was instituted under the country’s National Honours Act and had been formally approved well before PM Modi’s arrival. It said the honour recognises outstanding contributions to the sustainable use, conservation and governance of the oceans and the blue economy.
The Presidency further explained that the document circulating online was merely an internal working draft that had been inadvertently shared before undergoing final proofreading. It stressed that the final citation presented during the investiture ceremony had been duly vetted and contained no typographical errors.
While India has not issued an official statement on the controversy, government sources said Pakistan’s criticism stemmed from “envy” rather than facts, accusing Asif of commenting on matters “of which he has little knowledge”.
