Modi trying to turn Kashmir into Gaza: Irfan Siddiqui

Water war threats from India will be treated as acts of war, warns Irfan Siddiqui.

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Senator Irfan Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz  (PML-N) has accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pursuing Israeli-style policies in Kashmir, alleging a bid to transform the occupied region into "another Gaza."

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Irfan Siddiqui wrote that India under Modi could no longer be called the world’s largest democracy, stating instead it had become “the largest killing ground for Muslims and other minorities.”

He accused the Indian government of replicating Israel’s repressive policies in occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, and applying them in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“Modi is following the Israeli policy model,” Irfan Siddiqui said. “He is trying to turn Kashmir into another Gaza.”

Referring to India’s recurring threats to cut off water to Pakistan, Irfan Siddiqui warned of severe consequences. “If India lays the first brick of any dam that chokes our rivers, the response will be with stone, not silence,” he said, adding that such actions would be treated as an act of war.

His remarks come amid growing regional tension and criticism over India’s policies in Kashmir, particularly after the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which stripped the region of its special constitutional status. Rights groups have since raised alarm over widespread restrictions, arbitrary detentions, and demographic changes.

Earlier, hundreds of Pakistanis rallied across the country on, including in Azad Kashmir, to protest against India’s threats of retaliation following a deadly attack on civilians in IIOJK on Tuesday.

The demonstrations came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to “pursue and punish” the perpetrators of Tuesday’s assault in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians and was the deadliest such attack in the disputed region in over two decades. Modi accused Pakistan of supporting what he described as “cross-border terrorism.”

Previously, Kashmiri students in various Indian states have reported facing threats and harassment in the aftermath of the deadly attack in Pahalgam, IIOJK, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly domestic tourists.

According to the IIOJK Students Association, students in states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh were allegedly told to vacate their rented homes and hostels shortly after the attack.

What is happening in Gaza?

The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 51,400 after Israeli airstrikes killed 84 more Palestinians in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The total number of injured has now reached 117,400 since the conflict escalated in October 2023.

The latest fatalities included victims of an airstrike on a school housing displaced families in northern Gaza. The attack marks continued violence despite a January ceasefire agreement that had briefly paused fighting.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.