NEW DELHI: AIMIM leader Asaduddin mocked Pakistan amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. Criticising Pakistan’s repeated ceasefire violations and its rhetoric following the Pahalgam terror attack, Owaisi said, “To those sitting in Pakistan and saying rubbish you are half hour behind India, but they are not just half an hour behind they are half a century behind. Your country’s budget is not even equal to our military budget.”
He continued his sharp rebuke, pointing to Pakistan’s frequent boasts about its nuclear capability.
“Pakistan always talks about being a nuclear power; they need to remember that if they enter a country and kill innocent people, that country will not sit quietly. No matter the government, by killing our people on our land, and targeting them based on religion, what ‘deen’ are you talking about?… You have acted like ISIS,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Parbhani, Maharashtra.
Owaisi further claimed that Pakistan has for a long time been training terrorists against India and said “LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) is the illegitimate child of the Pakistan government.”
Owaisi’s comments come as Pakistan continues its unprovoked ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Army officials reported that Pakistani troops fired small arms into Kupwara and Poonch districts for the fourth consecutive night, as per PTI. A defence spokesperson confirmed that Indian troops responded “swiftly and effectively,” and no casualties were reported.
The tensions follow a devastating terrorist attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where terrorists open fired on tourists near Baisaran Meadow, killing 26 people, including one Nepalese national. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, condemned the attack, saying it had left every citizen heartbroken and seething with anger. He assured the families that those responsible would face the harshest action.
Security measures across India have been intensified, with marine patrols and vehicle checks increased at strategic locations such as Gujarat’s Porbandar port. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also met, strongly condemning the attack. In response, India has decided to withdraw its Defence, Navy, and Air Advisors from the High Commission in Islamabad and cut staff strength significantly by May 1.
