'Will reveal Pakistan's motives': Owaisi says after joining Centre's anti-terror delegations

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has joined the Indian government's anti-terror delegations to foreign countries, marking a crucial step in India's diplomatic efforts against terrorism. This move follows New Delhi's Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Punjab province of Pakistan. Owaisi, known for his outspoken political stance, has expressed his intent to reveal Pakistan's motives to international audiences as part of these delegations. 

The Hyderabad MP has articulated the need for the world to understand that Pakistan's projection of itself as an 'Islamic' country is misleading. According to Owaisi, this narrative is 'bakwas,' highlighting that India, too, has a significant Muslim population of 20 crore. 

Owaisi has emphasised the historical context of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism affecting India, starting from the era of former Pakistan President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He pointed out incidents such as the Kandahar plane hijack, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and other significant terror events. 

“India has been a victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. This began during the time of (former Pakistan President) Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, and we need to tell the world about this and also about the Kandahar plane hijack, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the 2001 Parliament attacks, the Uri and Pathankot incidents, the killing of seven tourists in Reasi, and Pahalgam. This is a danger for humanity,” Owaisi said on Saturday.

On Turkey, Owaisi said: "Turkey must reconsider their stance of supporting Pakistan. We must remind Turkey that there is a bank in Turkey called İşbank, whose earlier depositors were people of India..."

The Centre appointed Tharoor to lead the US delegation as part of a diplomatic outreach program following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India's subsequent Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan. The mission, spanning 10 days, will include visits to the United States, European Union, Japan, UAE, Africa, Australia, the UK, and Southeast Asia.

This decision came shortly after Tharoor faced criticism from the Congress party for allegedly overstepping his bounds on foreign policy issues. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju confirmed the news on Saturday morning, emphasizing, "In critical moments, Bharat remains united."

He also expressed his plans for Seven All-Party Delegations to visit key partner nations, conveying our collective stance of zero-tolerance towards terrorism. This initiative symbolizes national unity transcending political differences, showcasing the solidarity of all political parties in safeguarding our nation's interests.

According to reports, Salman Khurshid will lead a delegation to Japan, while Shrikant Shinde has been assigned the responsibility of heading the mission to the UAE and selected African nations.

The overarching objective of these delegations is to establish international consensus on Islamabad's alleged involvement in terrorism and present a unified Indian position on the global platform.