Islamabad: Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday sharply criticized recent comments by India’s defence minister regarding Sindh, calling them aggressive, historically inaccurate and dangerous for regional stability.
Rehman Cites Sindh’s Pre-Partition Commitment to Pakistan
Rehman said the Indian minister appeared “unaware of history or deliberately ignoring it,” noting that Sindh passed a resolution to join Pakistan even before the 1947 partition. She added that support for Pakistan was not limited to Muslims; Sindh’s Hindu community also endorsed the province’s association with the new state.
She said Sindh’s loyalty to Pakistan is documented in provincial records and rooted in its political identity, which emerged strongly during British rule. Sindh opposed its inclusion in the Bombay Presidency and gained separate provincial status on April 1, 1936, after persistent struggle.
‘Twisting History Never Serves Anyone’
Rehman described the Indian minister’s remarks as a new level of “strategic despair,” saying attempts to distort history for political gain have never benefited any government. She urged India’s leadership to focus instead on unrest in its own northeastern states.
Addressing India’s policies in Kashmir, she said that despite the presence of nearly one million troops, “coercive control continues,” and the real issue is not force but the will of the people.
Indus Valley’s Legacy Underscored
The senator pointed out that Sindh is the land that gave the Indus River and Indus Valley Civilization their name, noting that India itself adopted “India” from this ancient heritage. She said that following India’s logic, Pakistan could claim certain Indian territories, “but we do not engage in such provocations.”
Rehman added that Pakistan does not display expansionist maps in parliament, nor does it promote ideas that fuel aggression. Instead, she said, Pakistan remains a modern and peaceful state that is fully capable of safeguarding its sovereignty.
Warning Over ‘Dangerous’ Indian Statements
She warned that statements from India’s defence minister pose risks to regional peace, drawing global attention to what she described as the failures of Indian policies in Kashmir and the continuing struggle for freedoms there.
PPP’s History of Opposing Conflict
Rehman concluded by recalling that the Pakistan Peoples Party has consistently resisted terrorism and wars initiated by India, standing firmly for peace, stability and democratic values across the region.
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