Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party President Asaduddin Owaisi, part of an all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda that had visited Gulf countries, has strongly criticised Pakistan, calling it the “epicentre of Takfirism” and accusing its government, deep state and intelligence agency ISI of fueling terrorism through illicit financial networks.
The leader highlighted that four countries visited by the delegation had earlier supported India’s diplomatic efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2018.
He also said the team visited four countries that are members of key international groups like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).
Owaisi said the delegation raised concerns about Pakistan’s role in terrorism, especially the recent Pahalgam attack. Speaking to ANI, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “We represented India over there…all these countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The other 3 countries are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and one of the countries is now non non-permanent member of the Security Council and all these countries are part of Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)…and they have historical relation with India… we requested and explained to them…that Pakistan has been indulging in terrorism in India for many years. We had focused on the Pahalgam terror attack. We told them this Resistance Front didn’t just come up on April 22nd. India had already told the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1262 sanction team that this is a new name for LeT… Secondly, we have told them, the speech of April 15th of Asim Munir…”
He said that the root cause of terrorism is illegal money, and monitoring of this situation is needed.
“These four countries this delegation went to had helped India in bringing back Pakistan to the FATF grey list in 2018…Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), we require their help, when India starts this whole process of bringing Pakistan into FATF…root cause of terrorism is illegal money…we need to monitor…a form of Polio exits only in two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan…there is 40% poverty in Pakistan, where is the money going?… Pakistan govt, deep state, ISI…are indulging in terrorism. Pakistan has become the epicentre of Takfirism,” Owaisi said.
The delegation, led by Panda, also included BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak and Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu and Ghulam Nabi Azad; and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
During their visit, the delegation briefed international partners on India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, highlighting the broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria. (With inputs from ANI)
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