After previously denying role in Pahalgam terror attack in Baisaran valley meadow that took place on April 22, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a scathing attack on India. He accused the country of having “staged” the shooting that killed at least 26 people and left others injured. Levelling heavy allegations, he claimed that India was behind the act of terrorism to create a sense of crisis.
“The reaction which came from Delhi was not really surprising for us. We could make out that this whole thing was staged to create some sort of a crisis in the region, particularly for us,” the Pak defence minister said in an interview with British news channel Sky News.
Pak defence minister accuses India of ‘staging’ Pahalgam terror attack
When pushed to clarify what he meant by “staged,” Asif went on, “I personally and our government also… in the last two days… have condemned it categorically without any reservation that terrorism in all its forms is something that should be condemned as strongly as possible.”
He added, “Pakistan has been victim of terrorism for decades, and perhaps no other country in the world has suffered so much from terrorism as Pakistan because of the wars in Afghanistan in the 80s and the decade before that. We are very familiar with the pain it inflicts on people and the country when were are subjected to terrorism.”
Khawaja Asif emphasises Lashkar-e-Taiba is ‘extinct’
Again doubling down on the so-called “pattern” going on in India, he said that the people being accused this time are “not known, never heard of the organisation.” Earlier this week, The Resistance Front, a proxy outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam shooting, as per sources in the central agencies.
“Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad had religious connotations and Pakistan did not want that. They wanted to make Kashmir militancy appear indigenous. Hence, they opted for ‘Resistance’ — that has some currency in global politics — in its name,” a Ministry of Home Affairs official said of TRF coming into existence in 2019, as quoted by Indian Express.
As Khawaja Asif was urged to address The Resistance Front’s name during the Sky News ‘The World with Yalda Hakim’ interview this week, he snapped, “Let me tell you, Lashkar-e-Taiba is a name from the past. It is totally defunct. It does not exist.” The British news channel’s reporter interjected, “But this organisation… is believed to be an off-shoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.”
She then highlighted that Indian is pointing the blame on Pakistan because the country is known to “back, harbour, train and fund” these kind of organisations, namely Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. “While you may not be overtly involved the fact is that because of the ISIS, your intelligence agency’s backing of these terrorist organisation, that is why the finger of blame is pointed on Pakistan,” she said.
Pahalgam terror attack: Pak labels it a ‘false flag operation’
To which Asif called it “very convenient” for the “big powers” to blame Pakistan. He then turned back to the 2019 Pulwama attack, called it a “false flag operation,” saying India is repeating the “pattern.” Azma Bokhari, a minister in Pakistan’s Punjab government echoed his thoughts on Wednesday, saying, “Any misadventure by India under false flag pretext will have dire consequences.”
Any evidence to prove India ‘staged’ the Pahalgam shootings?
When asked for even a single piece of evidence supporting his claims, Khawaja Asif instead chose to point back to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s history in Gujarat. Stuttering through his answer, he ultimately blurted, “They never came up for any evidence for these incidents in Kashmir. Till now, in the last 10-15 years, 3-4 incidents have taken place but they’ve never come up with any evidence just to blame Pakistan for something and create a situation for their own advantage.”
Repeatedly denying any responsibility, he ultimately warned his military was “prepared for an eventuality” as tensions escalate between both countries. “We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India. It would be a measured response,” he said. “If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war.”
When emphasised that the clash between two nuclear powers would be devastating, Asif replied, “Yes, I think so. The clash between two nuclear powers is always worrisome… If things get wrong, there could be a tragic outcome of this confrontation.”
India’s Indus Water Treaty suspension: Pak sees it as ‘Act of War’
In addition to Khawaja Asif’s “all-out war” warning, Pakistan said that the 1960 Indus Water Treaty suspension – one of New Delhi’s retaliatory measures against the terror attack in Kashmir – will be seen as an “act of war.” The country also threatened that if any water flow is stopped or diverted, Pakistan would respond to the punitive measure with “full force.”
A statement from the Pakistan PM office announced its “airspace will be closed with immediate effect for all Indian owned or Indian operated airlines.” Trade with Indian has also been suspended.
With Pakistan already suffering a major water crisis, the statement asserted, “Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power.”