Indian expansionism akin to ‘Nazi Lebensraum’: Imran

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has compared the Indian government’s “arrogant expansionist policies” with the Nazi Lebensraum and warned that the Narendra Modi regime is “becoming a threat to India’s neighbours”.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Prime Minister Khan said: “The Hindutva supremacist Modi govt with its arrogant expansionist policies, akin to Nazi’s Lebensraum (Living Space), is becoming a threat to India’s neighbours.”

He then described India’s neighbours and the challenges they face due to its posturing. “Bangladesh through Citizenship Act, border disputes with Nepal and China, and Pakistan threatened with false-flag operation,” Khan wrote.

The Prime Minister has been voicing concern over Indian posturing and the possibility of a false-flag operation for several weeks.

“All this after illegal annexation of IOJK (Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir), a war crime under 4th Geneva Convention, and laying claim to AJK (Azad Kashmir),” Khan added. “I have always maintained the fascist Modi govt is not only a threat to India’s minorities by relegating them to 2nd class citizens’ status, but also threat to regional peace.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi sounded a similar warning and called upon the international community to take note of India’s nefarious designs that posed a great threat to regional peace and security.

“India has buried secularism and is constantly fanning Hindutva in the country,” the foreign minister said. Qureshi said India not only took illegal step to annex occupied Jammu and Kashmir, but was also trying to change its demography through amendments to law.

He mentioned that introduction of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act combined with National Register of Citizens was an attempt to target minorities, which also drew resistance from the local population.

The foreign minister pointed out that India was involved in hatching conspiracies in Balochistan, besides meddling with other countries including Afghanistan and Nepal. He condemned India’s controversial construction in Ladakh that led to a standoff with China.

He said China always exhibited restraint in the past and even today was also willing to resolve the issue through peace, however, stressed that India’s actions could threaten region’s peace.

Qureshi said such steps by India were meant to cover up the “pathetic situation” in the country after its Covid-19 policies were severely criticised by its citizens.