New Delhi : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is part of the Modi government’s anti-terror all-party delegation to foreign countries, tore into Pakistan on Saturday for sponsoring terrorists. He cited an example of Pakistan handing out special treatment to the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, while he was in jail.
“There was this one terrorist called Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – no country in the world would allow a terrorist who’s facing a terror charge (come out of jail). But he became a father to a son while sitting in prison. However, the trial progressed immediately when Pakistan was put on the Grey List (of FATF),” said Owaisi. Owaisi further blasted Pakistan for supporting terrorists, pointing out that they were acting against the tenets of Islam by killing innocent people.
“Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and there is no difference in ideology between the terrorist groups in Pakistan and Daesh and Al-Qaeda. They believe that they have a religious sanction, which is completely wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of any person, and unfortunately, that is their ideology,” said Owaisi in Algeria. Owaisi was referring to the killing of 26 tourists by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, where Hindu males were singled out.
Saying that terrorism has emanated from Pakistan, Owaisi said, “They have patronised them (terrorists), trained them.” “Whether in Punjab or Kashmir, you have one common name –that is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,” he added. Owaisi said Pakistan has been openly promoting UN-proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The AIMIM MP highlighted that LeT is “ideologically close to Al-Qaeda” and also helped the terror group responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the US.
India successfully targeted the terror launchpads of LeT and Jaish in an overnight attack on May 7. Slamming Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, Owaisi said, “Anyone who picks up arms is a terrorist. Can’t allow any space to be given to any terrorist.” Owaisi appealed to the global community to rein in Pakistan, saying it poses a threat not only to India but to the entire South Asian region.