Irfan Siddiqi Says May 9th Cases Are Criminal, Not Political; Labels Indian Air Chief’s Claim as Ridiculous

Islamabad: Senator Irfan Siddiqi has stated that the cases related to the May 9th incidents are criminal, not political in nature, and emphasized that such events in any other country would have led to much graver consequences.
In a recent television appearance, Siddiqi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), rejected the claim made by Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal A.P. Singh, who alleged that Pakistan had lost five aircraft during a four-day skirmish in May. Siddiqi termed the Indian Air Chief’s statement as baseless and absurd, pointing out that even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not mentioned such an event in his nearly two-hour-long speech in Parliament.
He further criticized the claim, saying, “The liar often forgets their lies. Perhaps the Indian Air Chief believes that his lies would be taken as truth.” Siddiqi also remarked that the upcoming elections in the Indian state of Bihar, which is the fourth most populous state, might further weaken the position of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially if they lose. He highlighted that opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had recently presented evidence of election fraud, a first in Indian history.
Siddiqi also noted the international impact on India’s reputation, stating that no country had supported India’s stance on the Pulwama incident, which had highlighted India’s diplomatic failure.
Discussing the May 9th events, Senator Siddiqi stressed that the cases were criminal and not political. He stated that while the public’s attention is on the punishments being given, the underlying context of the incidents is being ignored. He added that individuals convicted have the right to appeal and warned that if such actions were carried out by any political party in India, the consequences would have been severe.