Pakistan's Deputy PM Ishaq Dar calls Pahalgam attackers ‘Freedom Fighters’ (WATCH)
Synopsis
Pakistan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar supported the attack, calling Pahalgam perpetrators "freedom fighters."
Tensions flared at the India-Pakistan border after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, as Pakistan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar supported the attack, calling the perpetrators "freedom fighters." Dar stated on Thursday, “Those who carried out the attacks in Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 might be freedom fighters.”
His remarks came a day after New Delhi held in abeyance the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in a major diplomatic strike against Islamabad, as a result of the terror attack. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Furthermore, the Indian government revoked visas for all Pakistani citizens, including those seeking medical treatment.
Indus water treaty suspension
Reacting to India's decision, Dar said it was "akin to an act of war." “240 million Pakistani citizens need water. You cannot stop it. This is like war. No suspension or interference will be accepted,” he said, threatening to retaliate against India's decision. Similarly, the Pakistani government also warned that if India stopped or diverted the flow of water, it would be considered an act of war.
“Stopping or diverting Pakistan's share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty and impinging upon the rights of the lower riparian, shall be considered an act of aggression by India,” a statement issued after a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also threatened India, saying that if Pakistani citizens were harmed, India would have to pay the price. “If our citizens are harmed because of India, Indian citizens will also not remain safe. We will retaliate,” he said.
On Tuesday, April 22, terrorists carried out an attack in the famous tourist spot of Baisaran Meadows in Kashmir. 26 people were killed in this attack, most of whom were tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack, a group affiliated with the banned organization Lashkar-e-Taiba.