Daily Times

Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Friday said that Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had been involved in supporting terrorism activities and human rights violation in Gujarat during his tenure as Chief Minister there and the United States acknowledged it by imposing visa restrictions on him. Addressing here in the National Assembly about the joint communiqué, the minister referred to Modi as the “Butcher of Gujarat,” alleging his support and involvement in the massacre of Muslims, including burning them alive and perpetrating rape acts.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif further stated that the United States took action against Modi following these atrocities and human rights violations in Gujarat, which served as an ‘acknowledgement’ of his complicity in terrorist activities. He emphasized that Muslims were the primary targets of these acts of terror. Kh Asif said, Pakistan had supported the US in two wars in Afghanistan for the last 40 years and was “part of a war that was never ours”. The minister said Pakistan was still paying the price for becoming part of the US-led war on terror and yet “there is no acknowledgement”, adding that the US-India joint statement was a “basis of dishonour” for the nation.

“We sold our people to them and the result of that is the joint communique by President Biden and the Butcher of Gujarat [in which they have] accused Pakistan of terrorism.” Asif further stressed that Pakistan should leverage its geographic location for its benefit instead of incurring losses because of it. Moreover, he condemned India for its continued human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir, where an undeclared curfew had been imposed, and highlighted the imprisonment and hardships faced by Kashmiri leaders due to state-sponsored terrorism carried out by extremist Hindus.

The minister underscored Pakistan’s unwavering support for the United States during two wars and its subsequent experience of terrorism. He lamented that Pakistan continued to face acts of terrorism, not only within its borders but also from beyond. Despite standing as a steadfast ally with the United States following the events of 9/11, Pakistan’s own struggle against terrorism had not received due acknowledgment, he regretted. The minister asserted that wars often served as commercial investments for powerful nations, noting the recurrence of this pattern in Europe. He called upon for stable foreign policies following the upcoming general elections, leveraging Pakistan’s strategically significant geographical location for its own benefit.