‘If Attacked, We Will Back India’: Pakistani Cleric’s Fiery Remark Lands Him in Trouble

A Pakistani cleric from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been detained after he allegedly slammed the Pakistan Army for its alleged brutality and declared that he and others would “support India” if the two countries went to war.

The cleric, identified as Maulvi Gulzar of Mardan, said, “Hindus have not treated us as cruelly as Pakistani soldiers have treated us in jail. If India attacks Pakistan, we will support India because of the cruelty of the Pakistani government.”

He went on to accuse Pakistani soldiers of “inhuman treatment” of prisoners and religious scholars, claiming that when he was jailed, “All ulema swore on the Holy Quran that if India attacks Pakistan, we will support India. The cruelty with which the Pakistan Army treats Muslims and madrasa students, never has any Hindu or Indian soldier done. Indian Army is better than Pakistani army.”

According to local reports, the cleric was picked up by Pakistani intelligence agencies after he delivered a speech critical of the Pakistani army and intelligence services. He is currently in detention.

While the comments have not sparked any major public reaction, they underline growing resentment in some tribal regions towards Pakistan’s military. Authorities have not issued an official statement on the cleric’s arrest or the video’s authenticity.

ALSO READ: Deadlock Persists At Pakistan-Afghanistan Talks In Turkiye Over Taliban's Refusal To Act Against TTP