Pak Deputy PM calls Pahalgam terrorists "Freedom Fighters"

In a shocking statement following the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar referred to the attackers as “freedom fighters,” triggering fresh outrage in India. Speaking to Pakistani media on Thursday, Dar suggested that the perpetrators of the attack could be fighting for a cause rather than engaging in terrorism, even as Pakistan continued to deny any official involvement.

“We should be thankful; they could also be freedom fighters. We don’t know. We made our statement honestly. But I feel that India is again indirectly trying to blame Pakistan for its internal failures,” Dar said, raising serious diplomatic concerns in India.

The remarks came days after a brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bairsaran valley near Pahalgam, which claimed at least 26 lives, most of them Indian tourists. India has squarely blamed Pakistan’s ISI and military for orchestrating the attack through proxy groups, including The Resistance Front (TRF).

In response, India launched a series of strong countermeasures, the most significant being the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a historic agreement brokered by the World Bank. India also announced the cancellation of all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, signalling a hard shift in bilateral ties.

Pakistan, in turn, reacted sharply to the suspension of the treaty. Terming it a “binding international agreement,” Islamabad said it could not be unilaterally abrogated. The Pakistani government issued a stern warning, declaring, “Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan… any attempt to stop or divert the flow will be considered an Act of War and responded to with full force.”