Dar calls for an all-out national war on terror
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar tore into India on Thursday, accusing it of backing a deadly terrorist attack that killed several schoolchildren in Khuzdar – calling for an all-out national war on terror.
Speaking in a fiery Senate session, Dar branded the attack 'cowardly and reprehensible,' claiming Indian-backed militants orchestrated the carnage.
'Indian proxies must cease their operations,' Dar warned, as lawmakers across party lines demanded swift retaliation and a long-overdue national counter-terror strategy.
Senator after senator lined up to slam India and demand action. 'A new revolution will rise from the blood of the martyred girls,' declared Senator Irfan Siddiqui, echoing anger across the chamber. 'There can be no sympathy for terrorists.'
Dar proposed forming a high-level committee to overhaul the nation's anti-terror framework – slamming previous governments for failing to fully implement the 2014 National Action Plan (NAP), rolled out after the Army Public School massacre in Peshawar.
'There were executive orders that released individuals who should not have been freed,' he said, blasting weak enforcement and porous borders.
He also pointed to recent meetings with Chinese and Afghan officials on regional security, calling for a 'clear line of action, not just rhetoric.'
Opposition and government senators alike blamed India for fanning extremism in Pakistan, citing the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, whom Islamabad accuses of espionage and sabotage.
'India has failed to provide evidence for its claims [on the Pahalgam incident], unlike Pakistan,' said Senator Sherry Rehman, who called the targeting of children 'inhumane.'
She reminded the House of the heavy price Pakistan has paid in the war on terror – including the brutal assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Other senators ramped up the pressure, with Faisal Vawda demanding the government 'triple' the military budget and double pay for soldiers – insisting that defence must take priority over development.
'Development can wait – national security must come first,' he declared, calling for unity with the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the same party he had long been associated with but now criticises for expelling him over party violations.
Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar tied the attack to extremist ideologies within India's ruling BJP and its parent group, the RSS. Cut short during his remarks, he snapped: 'Should I start making TikTok videos instead.'
Senator Aimal Wali Khan added to the chorus of criticism, accusing the government of maintaining an ambiguous stance on Taliban militants.
'We still don't know whether they're terrorists or strategic assets,' he said. 'This confusion is killing us.'
As the dust settled on the day's heated debate, the Senate also unanimously passed a resolution – declaring May 25 as Pakistan-Africa Friendship Day.
Moved by Dar, the motion pledged to strengthen ties with African nations and support peacekeeping efforts through the African Union and the United Nations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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