PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said that Pakistan’s resolve to fight was for freedom and not for conflict, amid the growing tensions with India in the wake of a militant attack in occupied Kashmir.
An attack on April 22 in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in one of the deadliest assaults since 2000. India has implied cross-border links without evidence. Pakistan has firmly rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe.
Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces as it expected an incursion and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As temperatures remain high, with the military warning of a “swift” response to any misadventure by New Delhi, diplomatic channels have remained engaged to prevent conflict.
Speaking during the National Assembly session today, Bilawal said, “Pakistan had no hand in that crime. We do not export terror, we are the victims of terrorism.”
He refuted India’s claims on fighting against terrorism, saying, “How can you fight terrorism while practicing state terrorism in Kashmir?”
He said that Pakistan was suffering from “foreign-sponsored, ideologically driven, and brutally indiscriminate” terrorism. “We have buried our soldiers and school children … We have fought the menace with not only arms but with ideas, education, economic reforms and unity.”
Bilawal continued, “Terrorism cannot be defeated by a tank alone, it must be defeated with justice. It cannot be uprooted by bullets, it must be disarmed with hope. It cannot be defeated by demonising nations but by addressing the grievances that give it birth.”
He called on India and Pakistan to work together, stating, “The prime minister’s challenge to India for an impartial investigation is a start.
“Why would a true victim of terror shy away from accountability? Unless they are worried that the real blame for the bloodshed in Kashmir lies in Delhi and not in Islamabad.”
The PPP leader further said, “If India wishes to walk the path of peace, let them come with open hands and not clenched fists. Let them come with facts and not fabrication. Let us sit as neighbours and speak the truth.
“If they do not … then let them remember that the people of Pakistan are not made to kneel. The people of Pakistan have a resolve to fight, not because we love conflict, but because we love freedom.”
He said, “Let India decide. Will it be dialogue or destruction? Cooperation or confrontation?”
A day earlier, the NA unanimously passed a resolution condemning India’s unlawful and unilateral declaration to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in blatant violation of the treaty.
The resolution said that the killing of innocent civilians was contrary to the values upheld by Pakistan, and the NA rejected all “frivolous and baseless attempts” to link Pakistan with the Pahalgam attack.
The lawmakers condemned the “orchestrated and mala fide campaign” by the Indian government to malign Pakistan, which “follows a familiar pattern of exploiting the issue of terrorism for a narrow political goal”.
India’s accusations ‘excuse’ to further suppress Kashmiris: Amir Muqam
Amir Muqam, federal minister for Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir Affairs and States and Frontier Regions, said that India’s allegations against Pakistan were an “excuse” to further suppress those in occupied Kashmir.
“[Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi thought he could throw accusations, giving him an excuse to further suppress the people of Kashmir, and prevent Pakistan from providing them with moral, political and diplomatic support.”
“We are one nation and stand with the Pakistan army,” he affirmed, adding that Modi made accusations against Pakistan to “hide his own weaknesses”.
He praised the nation’s passion, stating, “Every one of us [Pakistani] is a soldier. They (India) would have to fight everyone.”
The minister reiterated the offer for a transparent investigation into the incident, adding, “India has not responded to this.”
“The whole world can see now India’s accusations have no truth,” he added.
Tarar says ‘this is one opportunity where we speak with one voice’
Taking the floor, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Kashmiris still identified their loyalty with Pakistan even as the country’s politicians were bogged down in internal squabbling. “This is one opportunity where we speak with one voice,” he stressed.
He called the Pahlgham incident a “false flag operation” and a “security and intelligence” failure of India.
He questioned the credibility of India’s claims of Pakistan being involved as the first information report of the incident was filed against “at the behest of masters “10 minutes after the attack even though the police reach the site of attack 1.5 hours later.
He referred to international media like Al Jazeera, the Economist, and New York Times claiming that “India has no evidence to link Pakistan to this incident”.
Tarar said that the Pahalgham attack is the only opportunity where we should put forward a “united voice”.
He added that “Kashmir is Pakistan’s jugular vein” and claimed that India is trying to divert the world’s attention from the Kashmir issue by blaming Pakistan for Pahalgham.
He said India should be ashamed of a blaming a country who is a “frontline state against terrorists” and is serving as a “a wall between the world and terrorists”.
“We are victims of terrorism, we fight against terrorism too and then you blame us for terrorism?” he asked.
The information minister also said the Pakistani nation has always delivered a crushing defeat to the enemy. He said, “we are not aggressors, but if the enemy resorted to any misadventure, it will face such a response from our armed forces that its generations to come will remember it,” Radio Pakistan reported.
