Imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has stated that while the country faces divisions on certain issues, it stands firmly united against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aggression and warmongering towards Pakistan, as reported by The News on Wednesday.
“While we reject this fake regime, we stand firmly as one Pakistani nation and strongly condemn Modi’s warmongering and his dangerous ambitions that threaten regional peace,” Khan said while speaking to lawyers at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, according to a post on his X account.
The former prime minister’s remarks come amidst heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following the attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of over two dozen tourists.
Since then, New Delhi has not only downgraded its diplomatic ties with Islamabad but has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, with PM Modi vowing to punish those responsible.
India blames Pakistan for the attack, a claim that Islamabad vehemently denied and termed a “false flag operation,” further offering a credible, transparent, and independent investigation by a neutral commission of experts to ascertain the truth.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has warned that there is credible intelligence indicating India’s intention to carry out military action against Pakistan in the next 24 to 36 hours, citing baseless and fabricated allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.
However, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stated that Pakistan would not initiate a first strike but would respond forcefully to any aggression by India.
Echoing Dar’s remarks, a senior security source has said that Pakistan’s military anticipates the possibility of a misadventure by India but is prepared to respond with force “a notch above.”
Speaking to the publication on condition of anonymity, the source, who holds a key position, assured that any Indian aggression would be met with a “very strong response.” The source stated that the armed forces are on high alert and fully prepared to counter any cross-border challenge.
Expanding on the heightened tensions, Khan, who was the country’s PM during Pakistan’s retaliatory action via Operation Swift Retort against Indian airstrikes following the Pulwama attack in IIOJK, extended his condolences to the Pahalgam incident’s victims and their families, and said that instead of introspection and investigation, the Modi government is once again placing blame on Pakistan.
“When the False Flag Pulwama Operation incident happened, we offered to extend all-out cooperation to India, but India failed to produce any concrete evidence. As I predicted in 2019, the same is happening again after the Pahalgam incident,” the PTI founder remarked.
“Instead of introspection and investigation, Modi Sarkar is again placing the blame on Pakistan,” he added.
Reaffirming his support for the Kashmiris, Khan said that he has always emphasized the importance of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, as guaranteed by United Nations resolutions.
“I have also been highlighting the fact that India, led by RSS ideology, is a grave threat, not only to the region but beyond it. Indian oppression in Kashmir, intensified after the illegal abrogation of Article 370, has further fueled the Kashmiri people’s desire for freedom,” he noted.
