Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said Indians “believe in Akhand Bharat” while claiming that the country’s Hindus would prefer to remain in Pakistan rather than move to India.
Speaking at an Independence Day gathering on August 14, Zardari said Pakistanis and Indians hold different views, while asserting that Hindus in Pakistan are free to practise their religion.
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“The Indians believe in Akhand Bharat. But we are Muslims. They are not. But we are Muslims of the mindset that tolerates. We have a 4% Hindu population in Pakistan. They are as free as anywhere else. They would rather be with us than India,” claims Pakistan President Zardari.
Zardari made the remarks while discussing Pakistan’s ties with India, the role of the armed forces and the broader geopolitical situation in the region. Pakistan, which was created through the Partition of British India, marks its Independence Day a day before India.
Pakistan leadership calls for peace, unity
Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership on Friday called for national unity, peace and economic development as the country marked its 80th Independence Day.
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In his Independence Day message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad wanted peace but would not allow that position to be interpreted as weakness.
“We do not want war; we want peace. But the desire for peace should not be taken as weakness,” he said.
Referring to last year’s four-day conflict with India, Sharif said Pakistan remained committed to protecting its national interests, including its rights over water resources. He also said the country would continue working as a responsible nation and as a stabilising force for regional and global peace.
Sharif raises Indus Waters Treaty, Kashmir
On May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Sharif accused India of “unilaterally and illegally suspending” the Indus Waters Treaty.
“I declare in clear words that every single drop of Pakistan’s water is our red line,” he said.
New Delhi suspended the treaty last year as one of the measures taken against Islamabad following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Sharif also raised the Kashmir issue and called on Afghanistan’s leadership to ensure that its territory was not used for terrorism against Pakistan.
He highlighted Pakistan’s trilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, describing it as evidence of the country’s growing regional role.
Sharif thanks Trump over ceasefire
Sharif also thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in “securing a ceasefire” between India and Pakistan last year.
India has categorically rejected the claim of third-party mediation.
Meanwhile, Zardari praised Pakistan’s armed forces in his Independence Day message. He claimed that under Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership, the military had given a “befitting answer to India” during last year’s conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
