New Delhi: On April 22, Kashmir’s Pahalgam, a quaint town in Anantnag district was rocked by a terror attack which claimed 26 lives. Out of them, 25 people were tourists while one person was a Kashmiri pony ride operator. According to reports, the terrorist shot them in the head but not before asking about their religion. The gruesome incident has infuriated not just India but also the rest of the world including Pakistan. It is one of the most vicious terror attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama attack. The terrorist attack was perpetrated by The Resistance Front (TRF), a branch of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The entire world has condemned the terror attack with prominent leaders like US President Donald Trump promising India to support in its war against terrorism following the Pahalgam attack. Even Pakistan has condemned the attack and denied claims of harbouring terror outfits. However, the Foreign Minister of the country, Ishaq Dar had something else to say on Thursday, when he called the perpetrators “freedom fighters”.
The statements by Pakistan’s Deputy PM and others
Dar is also the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan and he gave the statement about the terrorists while speaking to reporters in Islamabad. He said, “Those who carried out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam district on April 22 could also be freedom fighters”. He made those remarks a day after India imposed a host of diplomatic offensives against Pakistan and took several counter-measures to link these attacks to Islamabad. Notably, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
The attackers in #Pahalgam “…Could be Freedom Fighters Also…”, remarks Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. pic.twitter.com/6OQ073WpcY
— Abhishek Jha (@abhishekjha157) April 25, 2025
Dar also commented on the Indus Water Treaty by saying that 240 million people in Pakistan need water and India cannot stop it, otherwise it would tantamount to act of war. Also, he warned India that if it threatens or attacks Pakistan, the country would respond with a similar retort. Not just Dar, but the Pakistan government also said any move to divert water under the Indus Water Treaty will be considered an “act of war”.
Moreover, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Defence Minister of Pakistan claimed that India is planning attacks across Pakistan and that they will make their neighbour pay if their citizens are harmed as then the Indian citizens would not be safe either.
