Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly countered Pakistan’s portrayal of India in the Muslim world, saying India is home to over 240 million proud Muslims and many globally respected Islamic scholars.
Speaking at an interaction in Saudi Arabia, where he is part of an Indian parliamentary delegation for the government’s global outreach following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, Owaisi said, “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.”
He called on Pakistan to “stop backing terrorist groups”, saying it would lead to stability in South Asia.
Criticizing Pakistan’s military posturing, Owaisi 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 targeted. Another shocking thing was that the person who led the namaz for the terrorists killed is a designated US terrorist.”
Owaisi emphasized that Pakistan should be put back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list to curb terror financing:
“Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is how we will be able to control this terror financing… These terror groups are prospering there, they are being trained there, and the whole task is to destabilize India to create more Hindu-Muslim riots.”
He also recalled the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when the Indian government provided detailed evidence to Pakistan.
“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 was when Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list.”
Owaisi praised the Indian legal system’s handling of Ajmal Kasab, “The Indian legal system followed all the due process of law, and Ajmal Kasab was sentenced to death… Our agencies were capable enough to record the audio conversations where the terrorist group, sitting in Pakistan, was telling the attackers not to lose heart, kill as many Indians as you can, and you will go to Jannat.”
The Indian delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, includes BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, nominated MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla. They have visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria as part of the outreach.
