New Delhi: Government sources have strongly rejected comments made by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif regarding the “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” honour conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Seychelles, describing his remarks as baseless and motivated by misinformation.
According to the sources, Asif’s criticism of the award lacked factual basis and reflected a misunderstanding of the circumstances surrounding the honour. They also criticised his public comments, saying they were made without adequate knowledge of the matter.
The response came after Asif alleged that the award had been hastily created ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit and described it as an “engineered recognition.” He also referred to reports of typographical errors in an early version of the award citation, calling the episode embarrassing.
The Government of Seychelles, however, has categorically denied claims that the honour was fabricated or introduced specifically for the Indian Prime Minister’s visit. In an official clarification, the Office of the President of Seychelles stated that the Order of the Guardian of the Blue Horizon was established under the country’s National Honours Act and had received formal approval before the visit took place.
The Seychelles government further explained that the version of the citation circulating online was an internal working draft that had been inadvertently shared before the proofreading process was completed. It said the final citation presented during the official investiture ceremony contained no typographical errors.
The honour recognises exceptional contributions towards the sustainable use, conservation and protection of the oceans and the promotion of the blue economy.
While the Government of India has not issued an official statement on the controversy, government sources maintained that the criticism from Pakistan was unfounded and reiterated that the award had been instituted through the established legal process in Seychelles before it was presented to Prime Minister Modi.
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