During his visit to Saudi Arabia as part of an Indian delegation, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi addressed misconceptions propagated by Pakistan regarding the Muslim community in India. Emphasizing that India is home to over 240 million proud Muslims, Owaisi underscored India’s rich heritage of Islamic scholarship and refuted claims that India is not a Muslim-friendly nation.
Owaisi criticized Pakistan's portrayal of its conflict with India as a religious divide, stating, "Pakistan falsely presents itself as a Muslim country while trying to depict India as excluding Muslims. India’s Islamic scholars are among the best globally and fluent in Arabic, countering this erroneous narrative." He further added that the ongoing instability in South Asia stems from Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorist groups and called for an end to such support to achieve regional peace.
Speaking at an event coinciding with India's global outreach efforts following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Owaisi pointed to Pakistan’s military weaknesses. Referring to India’s actions on May 9, he said, "Nine Pakistani airbases and terrorist camps were targeted as a warning, not a destruction attempt." Owaisi highlighted that a US-designated terrorist led prayers for militants killed during these operations, exposing deep links between Pakistan’s military and terrorist organizations.
He advocated for reinstating Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list to stem terrorist financing. Detailing the scenario, Owaisi referred to photographs showing a US-designated terrorist alongside Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, illustrating clear evidence of Pakistan’s harboring and training of terrorists aimed at destabilizing India through communal unrest.
Owaisi also recalled India’s response after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, noting that the Manmohan Singh government provided evidence to Pakistan, which failed to act substantively. He said, "Pakistan only moved when placed on the FATF grey list. Notably, Pakistan inconsistently claimed fugitive Sajid Mir was dead, later admitting he is alive and convicted on minor charges, while main perpetrators remain free."
Further reaffirming India's robust counterterrorism efforts, Owaisi mentioned the conviction of Ajmal Kasab, who provided critical information during interrogation, and how Indian security agencies intercepted and recorded communications between terrorists in Pakistan and operatives inside India inciting violence.
The delegation accompanying Owaisi includes BJP MPs Baijayant Panda, Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, nominated MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, and former diplomat Harsh Shringla. The group’s outreach covers Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria, marking an extensive engagement with key regional partners.
