‘If Pakistan’s cross-border attacks are considered justified, then India can…:’ Pakistan leader makes STRONG statement against Asim Munir, states Operation Sindoor…

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

In the political landscape of Pakistan, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and a senior Pakistani lawmaker, made a critical statement about Pakistan’s military policy, citing India’s Operation Sindoor. He raised the question – if Pakistan can justify conducting military operations against enemies inside Afghanistan, then how does Pakistan justify India’s airstrikes targeting terrorists on Pakistani soil?

Who made the statement against Asim Munir?

At the Majlis-e-Ittihad-e-Ummat conference, held in the Lyari area of Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman strongly condemned the military operations conducted by the Pakistan Army under the command of Asim Munir. He stated that the strikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan have resulted in a large number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan and referred to Pakistan’s justifications for these actions as “hollow.”

“If you say that we attacked our enemy in Afghanistan and justify this, then India can also say that it attacked Bahawalpur, Muridke, and the headquarters of groups responsible for the attack in Kashmir,” Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman stated while hinting to India’s retaliatory strikes.

How did he link Pakistan’s actions to India’s strikes?

“Then how can you raise objections? The same accusations are now being levelled against Pakistan by Afghanistan. How do you justify both positions?” Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief added. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. India inflicted heavy damage on the terror infrastructure located in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan.

US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict and asserted that Islamabad’s leadership credited him for saving millions of lives. “We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he’s a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more…,” Trump said Monday.

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two neighbours. New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party intervention.

How have Pakistan-Afghanistan relations been affected?

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Following the Indian operation, Pakistan attempted to target several Indian cities using drones and other weapons, but the Indian Army successfully thwarted these attempts. For many years, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has consistently spoken out against Pakistan’s treatment towards Afghanistan. In October, as tensions mounted between the two nations, he offered his services as a mediator. He is considered the only Pakistani lawmaker known to have had any interaction with Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader.

India condemned Pakistan’s latest attack against Afghanistan. At a weekly media briefing, External Affairs spokesman Randeep Jayswal said, “We have seen reports of border clashes in which several Afghan civilians have been killed.” He emphasized, “We condemn such attacks on innocent Afghan people. India strongly supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Afghanistan.” Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Taliban government claimed that Pakistan initiated the attack, forcing a response from Kabul.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been escalated since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban regime of supporting terrorist activity in Pakistan and has accused them of providing shelter to terrorists, while the Taliban has consistently denied those allegations.