Yalda Hakim Challenges Pakistan Minister on Terror Claims
As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to rise, the international community is calling for calm and restraint. The incident in Pahalgam has sparked a war of words between the two countries, with each side accusing the other of aggression. The fact-checking of Tarar's statement by Yalda Hakim has added fuel to the fire, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar faced tough questions from Sky News anchor Yalda Hakim over his claim that there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan, with Hakim fact-checking his statement and citing the country's history of supporting terrorist organisations.
The exchange came after India carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets, including Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba strongholds, with India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri saying the actions were aimed at dismantling the terror infrastructure and disabling terrorists. Tarar denied Indian claims linking Pakistan to an incident in Pahalgam, Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and accused India of lacking credible evidence to link Pakistan to the incident.
Hakim pointed out that Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was found in Pakistan's Abbottabad, and reminded Tarar that Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had admitted on a previous show that Pakistan had been involved in "dirty work" for the US for three decades. Tarar struggled to respond, and instead stated that Pakistan would respond to India's "provocation" and that India is the "aggressor".
Pakistan has vowed to respond to Indian aggression, with Tarar stating that the country reserves the right to self-defense. He offered a joint investigation and invited the UK to participate, but India rejected the offer. The incident has heightened tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan's Information Minister reiterating that Pakistanis have high morale and will respond to Indian aggression.
The situation remains volatile, with both countries exchanging accusations and counter-accusations. The international community is watching the situation closely, with concerns over the potential for further escalation. Yalda Hakim's fact-checking of Tarar's statement has brought attention to Pakistan's history of supporting terrorist organisations, and the country's response to Indian aggression will be closely monitored in the coming days.