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India Today
17 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Islam forbids killing, Pak-backed terrorists misuse religion: Owaisi in Algeria
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is part of the Modi government's anti-terror all-party delegation to foreign countries, tore into Pakistan on Saturday for sponsoring terrorists, saying they were acting against the tenets of Islam by killing innocent people."Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and there is no difference in ideology between the terrorist groups in Pakistan and Daesh and Al-Qaeda. They believe that they have a religious sanction, which is completely wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of any person, and unfortunately, that is their ideology," said Owaisi in was referring to the killing of 26 tourists by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, where Hindu males were singled out. He said that Islam has no place for 'Takfirism' or the 'Takfiri' ideology -- a concept in which fellow Muslims are declared kafirs, leading to their excommunication and often resulting in violence. Saying that terrorism has emanated from Pakistan, Owaisi said, "They have patronised them (terrorists), trained them.""Whether in Punjab or Kashmir, you have one common name --that is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism," he said Pakistan has been openly promoting UN-proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The AIMIM MP highlighted that LeT is "ideologically close to Al-Qaeda" and also helped the terror group responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the Operation Sindoor, India successfully targeted the terror launchpads of LeT and Jaish in an overnight attack on May Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, Owaisi said, "Anyone who picks up arms is a terrorist. Can't allow any space to be given to any terrorist."Owaisi appealed to the global community to rein in Pakistan, saying it poses a threat not only to India but to the entire South Asian region."It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia? No. It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism," he said."There was this one terrorist called Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – no country in the world would allow a terrorist who's facing a terror charge (come out of jail). But he became a father to a son while sitting in prison. However, the trial progressed immediately when Pakistan was put on the Grey List (of FATF)," said urged the global community and the global anti-terror financing body to put Pakistan back on the Grey List in a bid to clip its wings.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Asaduddin Owaisi exposes Pakistan in Algeria: ‘Terrorist Lakhvi became father while being in jail'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan over its dubious record on fostering terrorism, saying Islamabad's tactics to shelter terrorists fuel instability in South Asia. Addressing the Indian community in Algeria as part of an all-party parliamentary delegation, Owaisi also gave an example of Islamabad's complicity in terrorism, saying that a terrorist had become a father while officially being incarcerated in Pakistan. In a hard-hitting remark, the Hyderabad MP pointed to Pakistan's special treatment of terrorist Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in jail. 'There was this one terrorist called Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – no country in the world would allow a terrorist who's facing a terror charge (come out of jail). But he became a father to a son while sitting in prison. However, the trial progressed immediately when Pakistan was put on the Grey List (of FATF),' Owaisi said, highlighting how international pressure had briefly forced Pakistan to act. Asaduddin Owaisi expressed hope that if Pakistan is placed back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List – a global watchdog that monitors countries for terror financing – terror incidents in India would decline. Owaisi warned that the issue was no longer just a regional concern, saying, 'It's not only a question of South Asia. We are the 4th largest economy. What will happen? Do you want all this carnage to spread to different parts of South Asia,' he asked. 'It is in the interest of world peace to control Pakistan, which is the main sponsor of terrorism. It has to be brought back in the FATF Grey List,' Owaisi added. Speaking about the roots of terrorism, he further said, 'Terrorism survives on two things: ideology and money. Ideology, you know very well, you have seen the Black Decade, even in South Algeria, you still have some problems. On that point, we are together.' 'Once you bring Pakistan back in the Grey List, we will see a decrease in terrorism in India. We'll see killings coming down. We have the 2018 experience when Algeria and other countries helped India,' he said. Owaisi also linked Pakistan's ideology to that of international terrorist groups, saying, 'Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and there is no difference in ideology between the terrorist groups in Pakistan and Daesh and Al-Qaeda." The AIMIM leader went on to say, "They believe that they have a religious sanction, which is completely wrong. Islam does not allow the killing of any person, and unfortunately, that is their ideology,' he added. Owaisi pointed out the growing ties between India and Algeria, he said, 'We (India and Algeria) signed a defence MoU in November (2024), and I'm sure that this will increase understanding and strengthen our relationship. Hopefully, our Prime Minister will come to Algeria very soon. Hopefully, the President of Algeria will come to India. This will be a very good step in the right direction.' The comments came as India continues its diplomatic outreach, sending delegations abroad to build international pressure against terrorism and tell its side of the story in the wake of the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and India's military response under Operation Sindoor. The delegation observed a moment of silence for the victims of the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack, which killed 26 people on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, a targeted strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Over 100 terrorists from groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed. Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone attacks, which led to further Indian strikes damaging 11 Pakistani air bases. On May 10, both countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire. (With ANI inputs)
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
All-party delegation led by Baijayant Panda interacts with Gulf Research Center Chairman and Founder Abdulaziz Al Sager
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 29 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, which is visiting several countries as part of the government of India's big diplomatic outreach in the wake of Operation Sindoor, interacted with Abdulaziz Al Sager, the Chairman and Founder of the Gulf Research Center, on Thursday. According to its official website, the Gulf Research Center was founded in July 2000 with a vision to conduct scholarly, high-quality research on all aspects of the wider Gulf region, including the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. During the delegation's engagements on Thursday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday informed the Saudi officials that Pakistan is propagating terrorism and targeting Indian citizens, and urged them to bring Pakistan back to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List to curb terror financing. '27 lakh members of the Indian diaspora reside and work in the Kingdom of Saudi the delegation met, we told them how Pakistan is propagating terrorism and how Indian citizens are targeted. We told them that Pakistan should be brought back to the FATF Grey List. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of the FATF. They helped us in 2018,' Owaisi told ANI. He is part of a multi-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda under Operation Sindoor outreach to convey India's unified stance against terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable. During his visit, Owaisi interacted with Saudi officials and highlighted Pakistan's false propaganda about India. He emphasised that India is home to over 14.5 crore proud Muslims, showcasing the country's rich Islamic heritage and esteemed scholars, thereby refuting Pakistan's claims of representing all Muslims. Owaisi said that the multi-party delegation met with Abdullah ibn Muhammad, head of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, and Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Regarding concerns raised over the issue of talks between India and Pakistan, he added that talks were held after the Mumbai terror attack and the Pathankot attack. Still, they yielded no results and only losses. In a strong demonstration of India's united political front against terrorism, an all-party parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore avenues of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia Council Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, warmly welcomed the delegation. Owaisi is a member of the delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak; BJP MP Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu MP; Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria. The all-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Pakistan should be brought back to FATF Grey List": Asaduddin Owaisi in Riyadh
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 29 (ANI): All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday informed the Saudi officials that Pakistan is propagating terrorism and targeting Indian citizens, and urged them to bring Pakistan back to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List to curb terror financing. He is part of a multi-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Panda under Operation Sindoor outreach to convey India's unified stance against terrorism and seek international support to hold Pakistan accountable. During his visit, Owaisi interacted with Saudi officials and highlighted Pakistan's false propaganda about India. He said that the delegation apprised officials as well as the diaspora members from India about the terrorism propagated by Pakistan against Indian citizens. '27 lakh members of the Indian diaspora reside and work in the Kingdom of Saudi the delegation met, we told them how Pakistan is propagating terrorism and how Indian citizens are targeted. We told them that Pakistan should be brought back to the FATF Grey List. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of the FATF. They helped us in 2018,' Owaisi told ANI. He emphasised that India is home to over 14.5 crore proud Muslims, showcasing the country's rich Islamic heritage and esteemed scholars, thereby refuting Pakistan's claims of representing all Muslims. Owaisi said that the multi-party delegation met with Abdullah ibn Muhammad, head of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, and Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Regarding concerns raised over the issue of talks between India and Pakistan, he added that talks were held after the Mumbai terror attack and Pathankot. Still, they yielded no results and only losses. 'It was a good meeting. They, too, had some concerns. They asked us what could be done about the talks. We told them we talked after 26/11, after Pathankot, but it yielded no result. Instead, we suffered a loss. So, all in all, we presented all of this before them. We told them about Pakistan's propaganda - we told them that around 14.5 crore Muslims live in India. And what they (Pakistan) say is absolutely wrong,' Owaisi said. Owaisi pointed out that despite receiving significant financial aid from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's economy is not stabilising, and the funds are not being utilised for the welfare of the poor. Specifically, he mentioned that Saudi Arabia provided $2 billion in aid to Pakistan last year and a $3 billion loan in 2024. He compared Pakistan's defense budget, which is 2.6% of its GDP, to India's 1.9%, highlighting the disparity in military spending between the two nations. Owaisi discussed the recent Pahalgam terror attack and assured the Saudi officials that India is working to resolve such issues, while also exposing Pakistan's alleged role in promoting terrorism. 'We told them that Saudi Arabia gave Pakistan 2 billion USD in aid last year. In 2024, Saudi Arabia gave them a loan of 3 billion USD. We told them Pakistan's economy is not stabilising, and the money is not being used for the poor. We told them that Pakistan's defence budget is 2.6% of its GDP, whereas India's is 1.9%. The Ulemas in Pakistan are no match for the Ulemas in told them how work is being done in India, how Ulemas are working there, and how Pakistani propaganda is a lie. What they did in Pahalgam, we said that there are problems in our country as well, but we are trying to resolve this,' Owaisi said. In a strong demonstration of India's united political front against terrorism, an all-party parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore avenues of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. Maj Gen Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia Council Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, warmly welcomed the delegation. This multi-party delegation includes BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla. The multi-party delegations, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, have been initiated to counter Pakistan's misinformation on terrorism and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
All-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrives in Riyadh
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], May 28 (ANI): In a strong demonstration of India's united political front against terrorism, an all-party parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore avenues of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the India-Saudi Arabia Council Friendship Committee of the Shura Council. 'India's stand on terrorism is resolute & uncompromising -- a message we bring to Saudi Arabia with our all-party delegation. Appreciate the warm welcome by H.E. Maj. Gen. Abdulrahman Alharbi, Chair of the Friendship Committee Shura Council, as we begin key engagements to strengthen our growing partnership,' Panda wrote on X. The all-party delegation includes BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, Satnam Singh Sandhu, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla. This multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. Alongside its diplomatic engagements in Riyadh, the delegation also met members of the Indian diaspora and civil society in Kuwait, including former ministers, royal family members, editors, leading industrialists, academicians, and opinion makers. The session served to share India's united message against terrorism and underline the importance of international awareness, receiving strong support from community members. Meanwhile, India is set to intensify efforts against terror funding linked to Pakistan, which has resulted in Pakistan's placement back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List. Government sources revealed that India will submit a detailed dossier to FATF, the global watchdog on money laundering and terror financing, presenting evidence and concerns regarding the involvement of certain entities and individuals in terror financing and money laundering activities. This diplomatic outreach is part of a wider campaign following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. In its military response, Indian forces struck terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Modi government's diplomatic campaign has deployed seven multi-party delegations to reinforce India's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism globally. (ANI)
