Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called Israel’s action in Gaza “state terrorism”, but refused to apply the same yardstick to Pakistan and call India’s neighbour a state sponsor of terror.
When asked whether he would also call what Pakistan did in Pahalgam last year ‘state terror’, Anwar Ibrahim refused to do so.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Vishnu Som, Ibrahim minced no words in condemning Israeli actions against Hamas in Gaza, but was at a loss for words when it came to Pakistan’s policy of terrorism towards India. We in Malaysia and India are familiar with colonisation. “Continuous bombing and killings are atrocious. Israel’s actions in Gaza are state terrorism,” he declared. “I wouldn’t go to that extent. I know it’s very sensitive to say that in India. When pushed with facts and figures on Pakistan-sponsored terror that has taken thousands of lives in India, Ibrahim argued that none of his intelligence agencies have ascertained the terror acts as being guided by Pakistan, hurriedly adding that he is not suggesting that there were no terrorist acts. “Well, it has to be established. I mean, I’m not suggesting that there were no terrorist acts. There were.
Therefore, I, as Prime Minister of Malaysia, would then refer to these facts. “Hamas is just 20 years old. But the colonisation of Palestine is 70 years old.
Ibrahim, who is in India for the BRICS Summit, demanded an end to what he called Israel’s “colonisation” of Palestine. We can’t condone Palestine’s colonisation by Israel,” Ibrahim told NDTV. I’m a close friend of Modi Ji, and we also engage with the Pakistanis,” Ibrahim said, refusing to call Pakistan a state sponsoring terror against India. But to ascertain for certain, I mean, none of my intelligence establishment engaged with India, have come back and said, Sir Anwar, yes there was a state-sponsored terrorism there. Praising India as a great country with a great civilisation, great culture and great history, Ibrahim said he hoped that issues between India and Pakistan are resolved.
But when asked whether he would also call what Pakistan did in Pahalgam last year state terror, Ibrahim refused to do so.
