In a high-stakes televised exchange following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar faced intense scrutiny during an interview with Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim.
The conversation came in the aftermath of India’s military strikes on terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, conducted in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
Minister Tarar vehemently denied the presence of terror camps in Pakistan, asserting that the country is itself a victim of terrorism. He alleged that Indian forces had targeted civilian areas in the strike.
However, Hakim immediately countered his claims with documented evidence and historical references. “The Indian armed forces have clearly stated they targeted only terrorist camps, not military or civilian zones,” she said, directly challenging Tarar’s accusations.
Tarar reiterated Pakistan’s narrative, saying, “There are no terrorist camps in Pakistan. We have sacrificed over 90,000 lives in our fight against terrorism and continue to battle militants along our western borders.”
He also criticized India’s silence during the Jafar Express hijacking incident, but Hakim quickly shifted focus to Pakistan’s own record. “Just last week, your Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted on my program that Pakistan has long supported and used terrorist groups as proxies,” she pointed out. Hakim further referenced past admissions from leaders like former President Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, as well as former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to cut aid to Pakistan due to its alleged double game on terrorism.
As Tarar struggled to respond, he invited Hakim to visit Pakistan. She responded firmly, recalling the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan: “I have been to Pakistan, and we all know bin Laden was found in Abbottabad in 2011.”
The exchange has drawn international attention, highlighting Pakistan’s longstanding credibility challenges regarding terror networks operating from its soil and India’s growing resolve to respond to cross-border terrorism with decisive military action.
