ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Monday accused New Delhi of holding regional peace hostage due to its rigidity and hegemonic ambitions,while urging India to abandon its anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

`Peace and stability in South Asia have remained hostage to India`s rigid approach and hegemonic ambitions,` it saidin a statement issued following Indian PM Narendra Modi`s interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman.

The FO dismissed the Indian leader`s remarks as `mislead-ing and one-sided,` adding that he deliberately omitted mentioning the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

`The remarks are misleading and one-sided. They con-veniently omit the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remains unresolved for last seven decades despite India`s solemn assurances to the United Nations, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people,` the FO statement said.

Responding to a question in the podcast about the cause of tense ties between the two neighbouring countries, Modi had said, `We expected them to live and let live and yet, they chose not to foster a harmonious coexistence. Time and again, they decided to be at odds with India. They have waged a proxy war against us.

The FO also challenged India`s narrative on terrorism, asserting that New Delhi itself had engaged in acts of terrorism on foreign soils.

`India`s fictitious narrative of victimhood cannot hide its involvement in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan`s soil and the state-sanctioned oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

Instead of blaming others, India should reflect on its own record of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,` it said.

During the podcast, Modi accused Pakistan of waging a proxy war against India and rejecting New Delhi`s peace overtures.

`We are not the sole victims of this menace. Wherever terror strikes in the world, the trail somehow leads to Pakistan,` he said, recalling that the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was eventually found hiding in Pakistan.

`We have urged them to abandon the path of state-sponsored terrorism for good.

We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,` Modi said.

Islamabad, however, countered this claim by reiterating its commitment toregional stability and dialogue, while blaming India for obstructing peace efforts.

`Pakistan has always advocated constructive engagement and result-oriented dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,` the FO stated, while pointing the finger at India`s hegemonic designs and rigidity as the main obstacle to regional peace.

The statement further criticised India`s rhetoric, suggesting it was a major impediment to improvement in ties.

`The anti-Pakistan narrative, emanating from India, vitiates the bilateral environment and impedes the prospects for peace and cooperation. It must stop,` the FO asserted.

In his interview, Modi also recounted his 2014 invitation to then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony, terming it a sign of goodwill, as well as his 2015 visit to Lahore in an effort to strengthen ties. However, he claimed that India`s peace efforts were met with hostility and betrayal.

Pakistan, in its rebuttal, urged India to take a more constructive approach to resolving disputes, rather than relying on inflammatory rhetoric.