AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly countered Pakistan's attempts to frame its conflict with India as a Hindu-Muslim issue, stating that more than 240 million proud Muslims live in India, and the country is home to many reputed Islamic scholars.
Owaisi was speaking during an interaction in Saudi Arabia, where he is currently visiting as part of an Indian delegation involved in the government’s mega global outreach initiative following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan gives wrong message to Arab world
"It is most unfortunate that Pakistan gives out a wrong message to the Arab world and the Muslim world that we are a Muslim country and India is not. There are 240 million proud Indian Muslims living in India. Our Islamic scholars are much better than any scholar in the world. They can speak the best of the Arabic language... This is Pakistan's false propaganda that India is hurting them because they are a Muslim country. If Pakistan stops these takfiri terrorist groups, there will be stability in South Asia, there will be progress in South Asia...," said Owaisi.
Owaisi strongly denounced Pakistani military propaganda, pointing to the events of May 9 during Operation Sindoor. He said, "What happened on May 9th? Their nine airbases were targeted. If India had wanted, we could have completely damaged those airbases. But we wanted to show them a mirror and say, 'we are warning you, don't do it, don't force us to go on that path. Nine terrorist organisation headquarters were also targeted. Another shocking thing was that the person who led the namaz for the terrorists killed is a designated US terrorist."
Pakistan must be put back on FATF grey list
Owaisi, who is part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, said that Pakistan should be put back on the FATF grey list to curb the funding of terrorist groups. He also pointed to a photo showing a US-designated terrorist sitting next to Pakistan's army chief, saying it shows clear links to terrorism.
Owaisi said, "...Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal. There is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement. These terror groups are prospering over there, they are being trained over there, and the whole task is to destabilise India to create more Hindu Muslim riots in India."
Owaisi also said that the Manmohan Singh government had handed over evidence to Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
"After 26/11, my government, headed by the then Prime Minister, late Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian investigators went to Pakistan, gave them all the evidence, but you will be surprised to know that nothing moved forward. What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list. One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he's dead... Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he's dead, suddenly, he's alive? And then the Pakistani government said that our courts have convicted him for some 5 to 10 years, but the main culprits of the 26/11 are still scot-free. They were convicted of money laundering, not for terrorism," Owaisi said.
(With ANI inputs)
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