KEY POINTS
- Pakistan’s Senate accused India of resorting to proxy warfare in Balochistan
- Ishaq Dar proposes a new national strategy to eradicate terrorism
ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament on Thursday demanded action against India-backed terrorist proxies in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day after a school bus was attacked in Khuzdar district of Balochistan.
The Senate strongly condemned the barbaric terrorist attack in Khuzdar that killed six persons, including four schoolchildren whose only crime was chasing dreams.
Lawmakers pointed the finger at Indian-backed proxies, accusing New Delhi of waging a covert war through terror in Balochistan after faltering on the battlefield. The upper house of Parliament echoed with fury and resolve, as senators called the attack not just a tragedy, but a line crossed.
The debate began with Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani’s motion to suspend regular proceedings in order to focus on the devastating attack.
Lawmakers from across party lines expressed outrage, sorrow, and a renewed commitment to defending Pakistan’s sovereignty and citizens from foreign aggression.
‘Hindutva threat to regional peace’
Initiating the debate, Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, also a former caretaker prime minister, warned against the growing ideological extremism stemming from India’s ruling Hindutva ideology.
He said Indian state institutions are increasingly influenced by the extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which threatens not only Indian minorities but the peace and stability of the entire region.
Kakar cited historical examples of Indian state-sponsored violence, such as the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and accused India of orchestrating false flag operations like the Pulwama incident to malign Pakistan.
He lauded Pakistan’s mature and unified response under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and reaffirmed faith in the Two-Nation Theory, which he said remains more relevant than ever.
He directly linked India to terrorist outfits such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming their support was evident in the Khuzdar attack. Kakar stressed that such incidents demanded more than condemnation—they required swift justice and parliamentary resolve.
‘India turns to terrorism after military failures’
Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, the mover of the motion, termed the attack a strike on Pakistan’s future, as it targeted schoolchildren—symbols of the nation’s hope and resilience.
He revealed that the attack came after India’s failed military operations dubbed “Message” and “Operation Sindoor,” and claimed that when India fails on the battlefield, it resorts to proxy warfare by targeting civilians.
“This is not just an attack on a bus,” he said emotionally. “It’s an attack on our national soul.”
He criticised the double standards of international media, noting how Indian outlets distorted facts while Western media often downplayed such tragedies.
He referred to celebratory social media posts from Indian accounts after the attack as further proof of Indian involvement.
“How many more coffins do we have to carry before the world acknowledges who the real aggressor is?” Durrani questioned, highlighting the long-term damage done to Balochistan by decades of foreign-sponsored terrorism.
Call for national unity
Senator Faisal Vawda denounced India’s targeting of civilians, especially children, calling it an act of cowardice. He stressed the need for national cohesion, urging political parties to set aside differences and work together to strengthen Pakistan’s security posture.
Vawda called for a substantial increase in the defence budget and a salary raise for the armed forces. He praised the military for its disciplined response under Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, noting that despite provocations, Pakistani forces avoided civilian casualties in retaliatory actions.
“Our enemies must know: if they attack us, the response will be swift and decisive,” he said.
Barbaric and unforgivable act
PML-N Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui gave an impassioned speech denouncing the attack as a barbaric and unforgivable act. “These were young girls with books in their hands and dreams in their eyes. What kind of monster targets such innocence?” he asked.
Siddiqui dismissed any justification of such violence as a struggle for rights, asserting that those who align with enemies and harm their own people cannot claim moral ground. “Disagreement is not treason,” he said. “But killing children is not dissent—it’s terrorism.”
He held India responsible for funding and arming terror groups, but also called for internal introspection. He urged those with genuine grievances to engage politically, not militarily.
Need for Justice, Democracy, and Accountability
Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan criticised decades of blame games and inaction, calling the Khuzdar incident a reminder of Pakistan’s failure to implement crucial policies like the National Action Plan.
Comparing the cruelty of targeting children to acts worse than animal brutality, he said the state must stop sweeping such events under the rug.
He also highlighted the systemic neglect of tribal regions, especially Waziristan, where children grow up without the internet or digital tools. “You can’t claim to represent a region while ignoring its suffering,” he said, calling for devolution of power and respect for ethnic identities under the 18th Amendment.
Aimal recounted a disrespectful exchange with a government official during a committee meeting, demanding the official’s resignation and affirming his commitment to standing with neglected and oppressed communities across Pakistan.
‘No Talks With Killers of Children’
Senator Sherry Rehman called the Khuzdar attack a “national tragedy” akin to the 2014 APS Peshawar massacre. She reiterated that Pakistan had paid a heavy price—both in blood and resources—in its war against terrorism.
Rehman blamed groups like the TTP and BLA, which she said were actively supported and equipped by Indian agencies. She referenced the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav as proof of India’s ongoing attempts to destabilise Pakistan through terror financing and covert operations.
She supported political solutions for reconcilable elements but was firm that “there can be no negotiation with those who murder children.”
‘Indian Proxies Must Retreat’
Concluding the session, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar delivered a strong message to India and its alleged proxies. “Back off,” he warned, stressing that Pakistan would no longer tolerate such provocations.
Calling the Khuzdar attack “intolerable,” Dar assured the Senate that the government was treating the matter with utmost seriousness. He proposed forming a parliamentary committee to devise a comprehensive national security strategy and acknowledged that failures in fully implementing the National Action Plan had contributed to the current crisis.
Dar admitted that lax border control had allowed tens of thousands of unchecked entries into Pakistan and stressed that eliminating terrorism was essential not only for Pakistan but for regional stability.
