"Those involved in heinous and barbaric act must be brought to justice": MQM founder Altaf Hussain on Pahalgam attack

London [UK], April 24 (ANI): Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and said that those involved in the "heinous and barbaric act" must be brought to justice.
In an interview with ANI, Hussain said that it is hard to reveal the mastermind of the attack as the top Indian officials have not yet disclosed the purpose behind the attack.
When asked whether Pakistan is diverting the attention of its people with this terror attack to avoid glare on the fact that it is a failed state, he responded, "It is very hard to say who is the mastermind of this tragedy until we all don't hear publicly from top Indian officials regarding the purpose behind this horrific attack. One thing is evident: dozens of innocent people have lost their lives, which is very unfortunate. Those involved in this heinous and barbaric act must be brought to justice and shall be punished strictly."
As many as least 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The attack in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district turned a place once known for its tranquillity into a site of mourning.
Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir's recent use of the phrase Hindus and Muslims as independent nations is derived from the Two-Nation Theory framework. He advised Asim Munir and other senior generals to consider which territories their ancestors resided in during the pre-1947 era.
Altaf Hussain also delved into whether Asim Munir's recent speech about Hindu-Muslim divisions and Kashmir being Pakistan's jugular vein was a warning before the Pahalgam attack.
Hussain said, "Asim Muneer's recent usage of the phrase' Hindus and Muslims as independent nations at a convention is derived through the 'two-nation theory' framework, which I have multiple times shunned and have refuted it at different forums. The ongoing Two-Nation Theory debate has persisted for many years, yet the usage of the terms 'Hindus' and 'Muslims' in his speech serves no other purpose than that. The people of the Hindu and Muslim faith have coexisted peacefully in modern India for centuries, and they share neighbourhoods and visit each other's residences regularly. Asim Munir and senior generals should consider which territories their ancestors resided in during the pre-1947 era. The people coexisted as neighbours with Hindus before partition and broke India into two separate territories. Only one united nation known as India existed at that moment without Pakistan or Bangladesh.
He said that the British colonial strategies led to the partition thus making this topic an area for debates and disputes.
"During his address, the speaker (Munir) declared Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein'. His statement is connected by the Indian scholarly writings to recent inhumane tragedy in Kashmir According to media reports, General Qamar Javed Bajwa accepted the Indian claims to Kashmir by maintaining silence over the Article 370 aborgation and secretly entering into a covert 10-year agreement with India which stipulated Pakistan would not wage war during this period. The day India abrogated Article 370, as per Pakistan's claims, should have triggered the arteries and veins of Pakistan(as claimed by Army chief) as through it Jammu & Kashmir merged into the Indian constitutional and geographical domains. Why had the military leadership along with Asim Munir failed to act despite India's strike against Pakistan's 'jugular vein'," he added.
Speaking at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, Asim Munir said India and Pakistan differ in every conceivable aspect, including religions, customs, traditions, thoughts and ambitions, reinforcing the two-Nation theory that led to Pakistan's creation in 1947.
Munir invoked the 'two-nation theory', which was responsible for the creation of Pakistan back in 1947 and asked the Pakistan citizens to teach their children the difference between the two communities--Hindus and Muslims, which was the basis for the creation of the Islamic Republic.
When asked about intel reports claiming that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hamas have been in contact and Hamas playbook was put into action in this terror attack, he responded, "I have no knowledge about any connection between Lashkar-e-Tayba (The Resistance Front) with Hamas, but from hearsay, it is said that after banning Lashkar-e-Tayba (LeT), they transformed into this group- The resistance front, but I have no proof."
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the banned LeT claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted tourists in the Pahalgam area of Kashmir on Tuesday.
He said that the attack in Pahalgam does not have any link with the FATF grey list and stressed that the attack was conducted to create more distance between Pakistan and India.
Asked about the attack carried out just after Pakistan was removed from the Financial Action Task Force's 'Grey List', he responded, "The current massacre in Pahalgam, Kashmir, has or does not have any link with the FATF grey list. As I mentioned earlier, it is a very horrific massacre of innocent people to create more distance and infuse flames between Pakistan and India's relationship, which is already fragile."
"This terror attack is not only good for the relations of both countries but also for the peace of the region. As far as the grey list is concerned, It is notable that Pakistan was put into the FATF grey list and recently got out of it. After this horrific tragedy, Indian media and people are pointing their fingers at Pakistan; it is Pakistan's responsibility to reply wisely and clear its position in front of the international community to avoid its name again on the grey list," he added.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) held a high-level meeting to review the overall security situation in the country, with a specific focus on the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The committee directed all security forces to maintain high vigilance and take all necessary measures to prevent future attacks.
The CCS resolved that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack will be brought to justice, and their sponsors will be held accountable for their actions. The government reiterated its commitment to pursuing those who have committed acts of terror or conspired to make them possible, citing the recent extradition of Tahawwur Rana as an example of its unwavering stance against terrorism.
The CCS met on Wednesday evening under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The CCS was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed and a number of others sustained injuries. The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured. (ANI)