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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Rising Islamophobia in India alarming: FO
Pakistan on Saturday expressed deep concern over the growing number of Islamophobic incidents across India and warned that the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes violates India's international human rights obligations. Responding to media queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, in a statement, said Pakistan strongly condemned the targeting of Muslims through hate speech, discriminatory policies, and acts of violence, reportedly carried out with the complicity or silence of Indian authorities. "Pakistan calls upon the Indian government to uphold the rights and safety of all its citizens, regardless of faith," the spokesperson said, warning that the deliberate incitement of religious hatred for political or ideological purposes was in violation of India's international human rights obligations. Khan added that such actions, at a time when restraint and reconciliation are most needed, further undermine prospects for communal harmony and regional stability. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following New Delhi's accusations — leveled without evidence — linking Islamabad to the Pahalgam attack in IIOJK. The Pakistani government has strongly rejected the allegations. Human rights organisations, including the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), have recorded at least 21 incidents of anti-Muslim violence across India in the days following the attack. These include physical assaults on Kashmiri Muslims, hate speeches at public rallies, and reported calls for the expulsion of Muslim students from hostels. The situation has been further inflamed by the rise of incendiary music aligned with Hindutva ideology. Songs disseminated widely through platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp have been accused of inciting hatred against Muslims. One such song, Pehle Dharam Pocha ("They Asked About Religion First"), surfaced shortly after the Pahalgam incident, accusing Indian Muslims of conspiring against Hindus. It has garnered over 140,000 views in less than a week. Other tracks such as Ab Ek Nahi Huye Toh Kat Jaaoge ("If You Don't Unite Now You Will Be Slaughtered") and Jaago Hindu Jaago ("Wake Up, Hindus") have called on Hindus to identify "traitors within the country"a phrase widely seen as a veiled reference to Muslims. In parallel with the online hate campaign, authorities in Gujarat reportedly demolished around 2,000 huts, which officials claimed were illegally occupied by undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. Activists, however, argue that the demolitions are part of a broader pattern of systemic discrimination aimed at portraying Indian Muslims as "outsiders".
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India claims changed tactics ‘worked well' in conflict with Pakistan
SINGAPORE: India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of conflict with Pakistan earlier this month and established a decisive advantage before the neighbours announced a ceasefire three days later, India's highest ranking general said on Saturday. The heaviest fighting in decades between Pakistan and India was sparked by an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, Indian jets bombed what New Delhi claimed 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border. Pakistan has said it downed six Indian planes, including at least three Rafale fighters, in the initial clashes. The ceasefire was announced on May 10 after bitter fighting in which both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery. General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, said in an interview that India suffered initial losses in the air, but declined to give details. 'What was important is, why did these losses occur, and what we'll do after that,' he told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, referring to the Pakistani claim of downing jets. 'So we rectified tactics and then went back on the 7th, 8th and 10th in large numbers to hit air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes.' The Indian air force 'flew all types of aircraft with all types of ordinances on the 10th', he said. India has previously said its missiles and drones struck at least eight Pakistani air bases across the country that day, including one near the capital Islamabad. The Pakistan military says that India did not fly its fighter jets again in the conflict after suffering losses on May 7. India's director general of air operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, had told a press conference earlier in the month that 'losses are a part of combat' and that India had downed some Pakistani jets. Islamabad has denied it suffered any losses of planes but has acknowledged its air bases suffered some hits although losses were minimal. No nuclear worries Some of the attacks were on bases near Pakistan's nuclear facilities, but they themselves were not targeted, media reports have said. 'Most of the strikes were delivered with pinpoint accuracy, some even to a metre, to whatever was our selected mean point of impact,' Chauhan claimed. Chauhan, and Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, have both said there was no danger at any time during the conflict that nuclear weapons were considered. 'I think there's a lot of space before that nuclear threshold is crossed, a lot of signalling before that, I think nothing like that happened,' Chauhan said. 'There's a lot of space for conventional operations which has been created, and this will be the new norm. 'It's my personal view that the most rational people are people in uniform when conflict takes place,' he added. 'During this operation, I found both sides displaying a lot of rationality in their thoughts as well as actions. So why should we assume that in the nuclear domain there will be irrationality on someone else's part?' Chauhan also said that although Pakistan is closely allied with China, which borders India in the north and east, there was no sign of any actual help from Beijing during the conflict. 'While this was unfolding from (April) 22nd onwards, we didn't find any unusual activity in the operational or tactical depth of our northern borders, and things were generally all right.' Asked whether China may have provided any satellite imagery or other real-time intelligence to Pakistan during the conflict, Chauhan said such imagery was commercially available and could have been procured from China as well as other sources. He added that while hostilities had ceased, the Indian government had made it clear it would 'respond precisely and decisively should there be any further terror attacks emanating from Pakistan.' 'So that has its own dynamics as far the armed forces are concerned. It will require us to be prepared 24/7.'
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Future war risks engulfing whole countries: CJCSC
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025, in this screengrab from a video. Photo:REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop buildup along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Reuters on Friday. However, he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The recent clashes between Pakistan and India arose following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed the incident without evidence on Pakistani elements, a charge denied by Islamabad, which sought an independent probe into the incident. On May 7, India launched missiles at civilian sites. This prompted a defensive response from Pakistan and a subsequent troop buildup by both countries along the frontier. General Mirza said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. "We have almost come back to the pre-April 22 situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now," said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian Chief of Defence Staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. "Nothing happened this time," he said. "But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different." He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to IIOJK. "This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan," Mirza said. "This is a very dangerous trend." Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India, and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India continues to deny any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. "The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community," he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. "These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, at the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Mirza said.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, India start reducing troops after border clashes: Lt. General Sahir Shamshad
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025, in this screengrab from a video. Photo:REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop buildup along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The recent clashes between Pakistan and India arose following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident without evidence on Pakistani elements, a charge denied by Islamabad, which sought an independent probe into the incident. Breaking 🚨 Pakistan & India withdraw troops from the forward positions, confirmed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. "We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation," Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Reuters. — Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) May 30, 2025 On May 7, India launched missiles at civilian sites, which it claims to describe as "terrorist infrastructure" across the border. This prompted a defensive response from Pakistan and a subsequent troop buildup by both countries along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. "We have almost come back to the pre-April 22 situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now," said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian Chief of Defence Staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. "Nothing happened this time," he said. "But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different." He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the IIOJK, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. Dangerous trend The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over the disputed Kashmir region, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. "This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan," Mirza said. "This is a very dangerous trend." Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India, and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India continues to deny any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. "The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community," he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. "These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, at the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Mirza said.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says
SINGAPORE: Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border, and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation… we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Indian aircraft: Pakistan airspace to remain closed until June 24 Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time,' he said. 'But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.' He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. 'Dangerous trend' The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers…in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Mirza said. 'This is a very dangerous trend.' India's aggressive posture threatening regional peace, Masood Khan Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. India's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, 'talks and terror don't go together' in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan. Surprisingly, Pakistan and India agree to ceasefire Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza said.
