‘Pakistan is an aggressor, not a victim’: Owaisi slams Islamabad in Bahrain, urges FATF greylisting

Owaisi was speaking in Bahrain as part of the seven-member parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda. (Image: PTI)

Calling out Pakistan's role in fomenting cross-border terrorism, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday, delivered a blunt message following a high-level meeting in Bahrain, “Pakistan is an aggressor, not a victim.”

Speaking in Bahrain as part of a seven-member Indian parliamentary delegation, Owaisi said, “Pakistan is an aggressor and not a victim.....for many years, terrorists aided and trained by Pakistan have been carrying out attacks in India, killing innocent civilians. We gave them all the data.....about the Mumbai blasts, the train explosions, the suicide bombing in front of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the Pulwama attack, and Pathankot.”

The multi-party delegation, which is visiting Bahrain as part of India’s broader diplomatic offensive post-Operation Sindoor, had discussions with Bahraini officials to present what Owaisi called “India’s side of the story” in the fight against terrorism.

“We told the UN Security Council in December 2023 to ban TRF (The Resistance Front), as it poses a serious threat to India,” he said. “Pakistan’s involvement is also proven by the fact that after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the TRF claimed responsibility—twice. Our cyber experts tracked the video upload to a location close to a Pakistani military cantonment," the AIMIM chief further added.

Owaisi also referred to recent remarks made by Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir on Kashmir. “We highlighted Munir’s April 15 speech and made it clear that such rhetoric only fuels instability. India, unlike its neighbour, seeks peace in the region,” he said.

Further elaborating on India’s recent counter-terror operations, the Hyderabad MP said, “India targeted nine terror camps, but Pakistan responded foolishly. They were taught a lesson on May 9 and 10 at the airbase.....India doesn’t want conflict, but the neighbouring country is trying to create instability and spread communal hatred by sending terrorists across the border.”

“We also urged that Pakistan be placed back on the FATF grey list,” Owaisi remarked. “Bahrain is set to become a member of the UN Security Council in 2026-27, so this engagement was significant. We told them that efforts to destabilise India are not just harmful to us but to the entire South Asian region.”

Also underlining the role of the Indian diaspora, Owaisi noted, “Bahraini officials acknowledged the contribution of the Indian community here. People from different parts of India live in Bahrain and have played a major role in its development.”

The Bahrain visit is part of New Delhi's coordinated diplomatic campaign involving seven Indian delegations comprising MPs from across party lines. This global outreach campaign is aimed at bringing into the spotlight Pakistan’s continued support for terrorist networks as well as reinforcing India's credentials as a responsible democracy that adheres to global norms.

The delegation to Bahrain is led by BJP MP and national vice president Baijayant Jay Panda. Other members include BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma, and Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.