Amid a deepening diplomatic rift between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror assault on April 22, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi delivered a scathing rebuke to Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, questioning his incendiary rhetoric and reminding him of the brutal assassination of his mom by the hands of terrorists.
Whereas interacting with reporters on Monday in Maharashtra, Owaisi was requested about Bhutto’s current assertion on India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.
“Indus is ours and can stay ours; both our water will circulate by it or our blood,” Bhutto, the previous international minister, stated at a rally.
When requested concerning the inflammatory comment, Owaisi urged Bhutto to train warning in his statements. “Let’s not have interaction in infantile commentary. Does he not bear in mind what occurred to his grandfather? Does he not bear in mind what occurred to his mom?” Owaisi stated, referring to former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in a suicide bombing in 2007.
“His mom was killed by terrorists; therefore, he shouldn’t be making such statements. Does he have any concept about who he’s speaking to and what he’s saying?” the Hyderabad MP added.
“Except the US provides you one thing, you can’t run your nation and you are attempting to stare us down,” Owaisi added.
The tensions escalated after India, for the primary time, suspended the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) — a landmark water-sharing settlement — in response to the lethal terror strike in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed a minimum of 26 lives and left dozens injured.
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Owaisi additionally took sharp goal at Pakistan’s alleged efforts to stoke communal divisions inside India. “Whether or not it’s ISI, ISIS, IS-Ok or the Pakistani deep state, they wish to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims in India. That’s the reason they did it. That’s the reason they focused non-Muslims in Kashmir — to ship a message that no non-Muslim can enter Kashmir,” he stated.
Making an attraction for inner unity, Owaisi added, “Therefore, I attraction to our residents: you’ll have political variations, however don’t allow them to succeed of their agenda by undermining our unity.”
The AIMIM chief additional referred to as for Pakistan to be re-added to the Monetary Motion Activity Drive’s (FATF) gray record, citing its continued alleged financing of terrorist actions. “I demand that Pakistan be added to the FATF greylist. They’re financing terrorism utilizing unlawful cash,” Owaisi asserted.
Following the treaty suspension, India additionally revoked visas issued to Pakistani nationals, with over 500 people having already exited by the Attari-Wagah border. In a retaliatory transfer, Pakistan cancelled visas for Indian residents, closed its airspace to Indian flights, and suspended the 1972 Simla Settlement — a cornerstone pact meant to stabilise relations between the 2 nations.
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Benazir Bhutto’s assassination is commonly attributed to teams like Al Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.