World must take notice of Modi’s RSS ideology: Imran

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday once again urged the world community to take notice of Modi’s ‘Nazi-inspired’ RSS ideology before it was too late, as “now 200 million Muslims in India are being targeted”.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister reiterated today in India, they were witnessing the Nazi-inspired RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) ideology taking over India, a nuclear-armed state of over a billion people. “Whenever a racist ideology based on hatred takes over, it leads to bloodshed,” he warned.

The Prime Minister said during his address at the United Nations General Assembly, he had predicted “once the genie is out of the bottle the bloodshed will get worse”. “Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) was the beginning. Now 200 million Muslims in India are being targeted. The world community must act now,” he added.

Later, addressing a ceremony in Islamabad held to commemorate Pakistan’s “Responsible and Resolute Response” to Indian aggression of February 26, 2019, Khan warned people in Pakistan against targeting their non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship, saying it would be dealt with strictly. “Our minorities are equal citizens of this country,” he added.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Prime Minister said the manner in which Pakistan had responded to Indian aggression in Balakot was indicative of the nation’s maturity. He said the country was prepared for India’s transgression. “I was very proud of how the Pakistani people dealt with the crisis,” the Prime Minister said. The fact that the crisis did not aggravate and the situation did not worsen only showed the maturity of the Pakistani nation, he stressed.

On February 26, 2019, Indian planes violated Pakistani airspace and conducted air strikes inside Pakistani territory. In retaliation the next day, the Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian fighter jets and captured Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Prime Minister Khan later decided Pakistan would release the pilot as a peace gesture.

Khan said Pakistan was aware through intelligence reports India planned to show some form of belligerence following the Pulwama attack in Indian occupied Kashmir. “We were ready,” he said, adding Pakistan’s entire response to Indian bombing within its territory was that of a mature country.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan’s armed forces had acted with restraint in response to India’s moves, while the Pakistani media displayed maturity. In contrast, he said the Indian media and politicians were beating the drums of war. “We could have panicked ... and responded to the Indian bombing on the spot. But we waited and realised the next day that there had been no casualties and then responded accordingly,” he recalled.

He also lauded political parties in the National Assembly for coming on the same page in the wake of the Pakistan-India tensions despite their differences.

On the domestic front, the Premier said the country would see things improve because the entire difficult period had passed. He then addressed the international community and diplomats present at the ceremony, saying: “I feel that unless the world community intervenes India has seriously taken a path which is going to be self destructive ... because when an ideology based on racial and religious superiority inspired by the Nazis takes over a nuclear armed country of over a billion people, it has consequences.”

Khan said he had tried his best to explain to world leaders the likely consequences of the Hindutva ideology following India’s move to annex occupied Kashmir in August last year. Unfortunately, no one understood, he added.

Khan said Pakistan’s armed forces were battle hardened and they had defeated the menace of terrorism successfully which had boosted their morale and confidence.

In attendance at the ceremony were Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Muhammad Mian Soomro, Azam Khan Swati, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, and Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, besides foreign ambassadors and other officials.

During a meeting with Gen Mohamed Ahmed Zaki Mohamed, Egyptian Commander-in-Chief and Minister for Defence and Military Production, who called on him here on Wednesday, Prime Minister Khan stressed that implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions remained the only way for peaceful solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. During the meeting, views were exchanged on bilateral, regional and international issues. Khan dilated in detail on the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including the inhuman lockdown and communications blockade.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, speaking at the ceremony, said: “My first message to our eastern neighbour is that do not think of any ill-considered misadventure because if you do we will respond and respond immediately as it is our right to self-defence.”

Reiterating Pakistan’s inclination towards regional peace, the foreign minister said the country wanted peaceful relations with its neighbours. He said Pakistanis and Kashmiris would never accept the Indian steps taken on August 5.

Chairman Parliamentary Kashmir Committee Syed Fakhar Imam in his speech said Indian steps in Kashmir were today vindicating the two-nation theory of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.