Latest news with #HusainHaqqani
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
The National
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
India and Pakistan must realise their permanent hostility is outdated, and break this cycle of violence
Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistan ambassador to the US, is diplomat-in-residence at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi and a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Watch: Key Pak Cleric Slams "Tyrannical" System, Calls War With India "Un-Islamic"
Islamabad: Abdul Aziz Ghazi, a controversial cleric of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, launched a scathing attack on the Pakistani government, claiming any conflict with India would not be an Islamic war, even as Islamabad is busy making plans against New Delhi in the wake of bilateral tensions over terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month. The cleric criticised the Pakistani government, calling it a "cruel, useless system". In a video going viral on social media, Abdul Aziz Ghazi can be heard asking his audience whether they would stand with Pakistan in the event of a war with India. He question is met with an unexpected silence. Noting the lack of response from the crowd, the cleric commented, "There are very few [hands]. This means many are enlightened now. The matter is, war between Pakistan and India is not an Islamic war." Abdul Aziz Ghazi goes on to denounce the Pakistan military, accusing it of widespread repression, claiming authorities in Pakistan have grown more oppressive- a bold and controversial take for someone associated with Lal Masjid, a place once synonymous with radical calls. لال مسجد کے مولانا عبدالعزیز غازی کا خطاب سنئیے جس میں وہ کہتے ہیں کہ پاکستان کی لڑائی قومیت کی لڑائی ہے اسلام کی نہیں اور پاکستان میں بھارت سے زیادہ ظلم ہے وغیرہ وغیرہ۔ ریاست کے وہ کارندے غور سے سُنیں جو ان حضرات کی سرپرستی کرتے ہیں اور سیکولر پاکستانیوں کو خطرہ سمجھتے ہیں۔ — Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) May 4, 2025 "The system in Pakistan today is that of disbelief (kufr), a tyrannical system. It is worse than that of India. There isn't as much oppression in India as there is in Pakistan," he said. Referring to the siege of Lal Masjid in 2007, Abdul Aziz Ghazi said, "Did the Lal Masjid tragedy happen in India? Does India bomb its own citizens? Are people disappearing in India like they are in Pakistan?" The cleric also cited atrocities in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and accused the Pakistan government of bombing its own people. "What happened in Waziristan and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - these are state bombed its own citizens. Have such atrocities occurred in India? Have their fighter jets bombed their people the way ours have? Are so many people reported missing in India? Here, people are exhausted from staging protests in search of their loved ones. Here, clerics are missing, journalists are missing, Tehreek-e-Insaf members are missing." The video was reportedly recorded at Lal Masjid on May 2, has sparked outrage on Pakistani social media. It was also shared by Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistan ambassador to the US, who criticised the cleric for his views. History Of Lal Masjid The mosque was established in 1965, shortly after Pakistan's capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad. Soon, it became a centre for radicalising people against India, with its chief cleric developing a close relationship with Pakistan's intelligence and security apparatus. However, by 2006, when the Lal Masjid was headed by brothers Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, it started openly challenging the Pakistani government by advocating the imposition of Sharia law across Pakistan. As the situation escalated, the then-Pakistani government, led by former President Pervez Musharraf, started seeing the mosque as a direct challenge to state authority. In 2007, the government ultimately launched a military, known as Operation Sunrise, aimed at quelling the growing threat emanating from the mosque. As per official figures, the operation resulted in 154 deaths, while around 50 people were arrested. It also prompted pro-Taliban rebels along the Afghanistan border to nullify a 10-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government, leading to violence that resulted in more than 3,000 casualties in 2008.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
02-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
What's the real issue behind Pahalgam? Former Pak diplomat says 'extremist ideologies & support for jihadi terrorists'
Former Pakistan diplomat Husain Haqqani has linked Pahalgam attack to 'extremist ideologies and support for jihadi terrorists', calling for an honest global conversation on the deeper causes of terrorism read more Indian security officers inspect the site a day after where terrorists indiscriminately opened fire at tourists in Pahalgam. AP File Former Pakistan diplomat Husain Haqqani has said that 'extremist ideologies and support for jihadi terrorists' is to blame for Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Taking to X, Haqqani, former Pakistan ambassador to US, wrote, 'India is right to be grieved & enraged over a vicious terrorist attack. Pakistan is right to ask for evidence. The world is right to call for de-escalation. Now, can we start discussing the real issue: extremist ideologies & support for Jihadi terrorists.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On April 22, a terrorist attack took place in Pahalgam, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local resident. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, in a statement claimed the responsibility for targeting the victims, which was later retracted. The attackers reportedly inquired about the victims' faith before opening fire. The attack reignited global scrutiny of Pakistan's long-standing role in sponsoring terrorism. From sheltering jihadist leaders to backing cross-border militancy, Islamabad's military and intelligence establishment — particularly the ISI — has long used terror groups as strategic assets. This complicity is no secret. Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif hinted at state involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while General Pervez Musharraf admitted to training militants for proxy war in Kashmir. Just last month, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Sky News that Pakistan had supported terror outfits for decades at the behest of Western powers. Pakistan's terror network has had a global footprint. It backed the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network — behind deadly attacks in Kabul. Russia suspects Pakistani links to the recent Moscow concert hall attack, while Iran launched drone strikes in January 2024 on alleged Pakistan-based terror camps. Even the 2005 London bombings had links to radicalisation in Pakistan. From South Asia to Europe, Pakistan's terror machinery continues to destabilise regions far beyond its borders. With inputs from agencies
