‘India funded your banks...’: Owaisi tells Turkey not to fall for Pakistan’s propaganda

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has urged Turkey to rethink its diplomatic tilt towards Pakistan, invoking deep-rooted historical ties with India and the presence of over 200 million Muslims who live in the country with dignity. Speaking on May 17, Owaisi highlighted India's past contributions to Turkey’s development and stressed that Pakistan’s current trajectory defies the tenets of Islam.

“Turkey must reconsider their stance of supporting Pakistan,” Owaisi told PTI, referring India's early financial role in Turkey’s development. “There is a bank in Turkey called İşbank, whose earlier depositors were people of India. Turkey has many historical connections with India... We must constantly remind Turkey that more than 200 million honourable Muslims live in India... There are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan. The way Pakistan has behaved so far, they have nothing to do with Islam at all.”

Responding to criticism from Pakistani quarters over his outspoken stance, Owaisi said, “Pakistanis have not seen anyone else so outspoken or handsome. They only see me in India... They should keep listening to me; their knowledge will increase, and their ignorance will disappear.”

The Hyderabad MP doubled down on his claim that Pakistan poses a threat to global peace. “India has been a big victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. We all have seen the tamasha, slaughtering of people since the time of Zia-ul-Haq,” he said, adding that his message as part of an all-party delegation to global capitals will center on this theme. However, he noted he has not yet been briefed by the government on the diplomatic initiative.

Criticising Pakistan’s self-projection as an Islamic nation in its dispute with India, Owaisi called it “nonsense.” He accused Pakistan’s deep state and military of fostering instability in India as part of a long-standing agenda. “India should have understood Pakistan’s design long back when it had sent tribal invaders into Jammu and Kashmir after its independence in 1947,” he said.

Owaisi also took a swipe at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire announcement during a previous India-Pakistan standoff. “Our Prime Minister should have announced the ceasefire, not the US President. Do you know that Pakistan’s trade with the US is worth only $10 billion, whereas for India it is over $150 billion. Is it a joke?...”

He dismissed the credibility of American assurances over Pakistani conduct. “Can America guarantee that Pakistan will not carry out terror attacks on us anymore?... Pakistan’s military will always mess with India. How long will we tolerate this?... How can you trade with Pakistan? They are beggars... We are only expecting this much from the US, that they should designate the TRF (The Resistance Front) as a terrorist organisation... TRF is nothing but a Pakistan-sponsored group of LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba)...”