Latest news with #Difa-e-WatanCouncil
News18
16-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘Why Pakistan Needs Lashkar, Jaish When…': Ex-Pak Envoy Over Soaring Tensions With India
Last Updated: A senior fellow at Hudson Institute, Haqqani questioned the rationale for the continued existence of terror organisations in Pakistan. India-Pakistan Ties: Warning against the backdrop of the near-war situation following the Pahalgam terror attack, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani urged Islamabad to shut down the terrorist groups being functioning in the country. A senior fellow at Hudson Institute, Haqqani questioned the rationale for the continued existence of terror organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-e-Mohammed, and the Difa-e-Watan Council, an alliance reportedly known for its extremist views, despite Pakistan possessing a capable military. 'A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups. With well equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, & their Difa-e-Watan Council?" he said in a post on X. A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups. With well equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, & their Difa-e-Watan Council? — Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) May 14, 2025 India launched 'precision strikes" under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes killed at least 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four close aides. The sites targeted were the Pakistani bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi) Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian (Kasur). In the strikes, the air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha suffered extensive damage. Within a tightly coordinated 24-minute window, India targeted 21 terror camps linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) across nine locations, four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The targets were not just aimed at avenging the Pahalgam attack, but also targeting terror sites where other such attacks were planned. The operation, however, escalated bilateral tensions as it led to strikes and counter-strikes between the two nations. The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian Defence Forces. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea, with effect from 5pm. Pakistan, however, violated the agreement within hours of it coming into effect. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, in his first address to the nation ever since the conflict erupted, said operations against Pakistan have only been kept in abeyance and discussions with Islamabad will solely focus on terrorism and Islamabad has to shut down the terrorists' infrastructure for further normalcy in diplomatic ties. India-Pakistan Soaring Tensions In one of the biggest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Lashkar-linked terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday, April 22, killing at least 26 people, including foreign tourists, and injuring many others. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, claimed responsibility for the attack, although it later backtracked after massive global outrage. After the attack, the diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan were downgraded with New Delhi announcing several punitive measures, including suspension of Indus Water Treaty, cutting Islamabad Mission strength, closing its airspace for Pakistani airlines and expulsion of its military attaches. In response, Pakistan undertook tit-for-tat measures and suspended the Shimla Agreement. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 16, 2025, 18:43 IST
India Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Lashkar, terror allies glorify Pak military op, threaten India at Karachi rally
In a concerning development that underscores the deepening nexus between Pakistan's military and radical Islamist elements, a series of orchestrated gatherings across Pakistan have been held to glorify the Pakistan Army's so-called "Operation Bunyan Marsoos" with extremist rhetoric flowing freely from the clerics and leaders from banned and controversial groups assembled under the umbrella of the Difa-e-Watan Council (DWC) -- an alliance known for hosting extremist ideologues -- to heap praise on the military's role in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor in Karachi on Tuesday the groups actively participating were Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, both designated terror organisations. These events, carefully choreographed to appear as spontaneous outpourings of national pride, were instead marked by incendiary speeches, veiled threats to India, and glorification of religious warfare.'ARMY OF MARTYRS, NOT SECULAR SOLDIERS'One of the most controversial figures to speak was Mufti Tariq Masood, a hardline cleric known for his inflammatory the Pakistan Army's actions, Masood declared: "Our enemy calls our army a religious army and those who are traitors to the country call this army a secular army After winning this war, we came to know and became convinced that our army is not a secular army. It is an army that has the passion for martyrdom and sacrifices its life in the name of religion and Islam, in the name of Allah." advertisementHis remarks are seen as a dangerous conflation of state military action with religious extremism, suggesting the institutionalisation of jihadist ideology within the armed to the provocative narrative, Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Sindh), openly threatened India while reinforcing the clerical establishment's allegiance to the military: "My leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman challenged Modi from Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore... We told Modi that we like to have breakfast in India... we also like to hoist the flag of Pakistan over Delhi."He further boasted about Pakistan's supposed military feats, claiming that Pakistani forces had "destroyed the pride of Israel by shooting down Israeli drones."He also claimed that the Pakistani Army shot down Rafale jets and also destroyed the S-400 air system, built in Russia."By shooting down Rafale, we destroyed the blood of Europe by destroying S-400, it has also told should think a hundred times before messing with Pakistan," he added. These fantastical and unverified claims have been dismissed by defence analysts as propaganda, but their wider impact on radicalising youth and promoting militancy remains a serious QUIET ENDORSEMENT?While there has been no official statement from the Pakistan Army directly endorsing the DWC events, the absence of condemnation and the scale of coordination strongly suggest tacit approval. Intelligence sources indicate the gatherings were neither impeded nor monitored -- unlike civil society protests, which often face warn that by allowing religious extremists to serve as mouthpieces for military operations, Pakistan risks further damaging its international image, alienating moderate voices, and entrenching violent ideologies within its borders.
