"Missiles Not Far Away": Pak Leader Provokes India Over Bangladesh's Sovereignty

A senior youth leader from Pakistan's ruling party has issued a sharp warning to India, invoking military retaliation if Bangladesh's sovereignty is threatened.

Kamran Saeed Usmani, who heads the youth wing of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, said in a video message that any move by New Delhi against Dhaka would provoke a response from Islamabad. "If India attacks Bangladesh's autonomy, if anyone dares to cast an evil eye towards Bangladesh, then remember that the people of Pakistan, the Pakistani armed forces, and our missiles are not far away," he said.

Usmani claimed that Muslim youth have become alert to what he described as India's designs in the region. He alleged that these "conspiracies" take multiple forms, "Whether it is in the form of cutting off the waters of Bangladesh, whether it is in the form of sedition, whether it is in the form of making a Muslim fight against a Muslim."

He further asserted that Pakistan would resist any attempt to impose what he called India's "Akhand Bharat ideology" on Bangladesh.

Moreover, since taking charge, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus put the emphasis on strengthening ties with Pakistan to boost mutual cooperation and explore trade and business potentials.

Yunus said he always preferred closer ties and added that Bangladesh and Pakistan should exchange more youth and cultural programs between the two countries to increase the people-to-people bonding.

Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) at a rally in Dhaka last week threatened India and said, "I want to say clearly to India that if you shelter forces who do not respect Bangladesh's sovereignty, potential, voting rights and human rights, Bangladesh will respond."

"If Bangladesh is destabilised, the fire of resistance will spread beyond borders. Since you are housing those who destabilise us, we will give refuge to the separatists of seven sisters too," he added.

He accused "vultures" that he did not name, of trying to exert control over Bangladesh.

During the same week, India's Ministry of External Affairs clarified that it, "Completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents".