Owaisi taunts Asim Munir, Sharif over ‘flattened’ Rahim Yar Khan; Internet says, ‘Ek hi dil hain kitni baar jeetoge’

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday taunted Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir over the destruction of the Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan's Punjab in India's military strikes under Operation Sindoor. “Will S Sharief & A Munir be able to land their Leased Chinese Aircraft at Rahim Yar khan Airbase?” Owaisi asked in a post on X.

Owaisi has been very vocal in condemning Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people in the Baisaran valley.

Owaisi pours scorn on Pakistan

Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Asaduddin Owaisi has taken a firm stance against Pakistan, condemning the neighbouring country as a "failed state" that must fear India and think "100 times" before initiating any aggression again.

He has consistently praised Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the attack, urging the Indian armed forces to "completely destroy" Pakistan’s terror infrastructure and teach the Pakistani deep state a "tough lesson" to prevent any recurrence of such atrocities.

Owaisi has emphasised that the Pahalgam massacre was a "Pakistan-sponsored" act of barbarity, and he insisted that Pakistan’s continued denial of involvement is unacceptable. 

He stated that the time for trying to convince Pakistan is over, calling for a decisive response rather than reflection to end the cycle of terror once and for all.

Owaisi has also highlighted the broader context of Pakistan’s use of Islam as a facade for terrorism, pointing out that Indian Muslims overwhelmingly reject the two-nation theory and stand united within India.

He criticised Pakistan for sowing division among Indian communities and questioned its actions against Muslim populations in Afghanistan, Iran, and Balochistan, illustrating the hypocrisy of its claims.

Netizens hail Owaisi

A section of netizens, however, ignored the context of India-Pakistan tension linked to Owaisi’s X post, and began rooting for him: “Bengal ka CM banao inko (make him Bengal’s CM)."

One wrote, “ek Iftar party mere taraf se”, while another said, “Owaisi Saab! Ek hi dil hain! Kitni aar Jeetoge!”

Chinese arms used by Pakistan against India

India alleged that Chinese armaments have been used by Pakistan to target India. However, the Chinese-made PL-15 missile “missed its target” as Pakistan fired it towards India during its response to Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal AK Bharti said during a press briefing on Monday.

Asim Munir and Kashmir

Asim Munir has been at the epicentre of condemnation as the army chief had called Kashmir the ‘jugular vein’ of Pakistan only days before five terrorists gunned down innocent tourists and a pony boy at Pahalgam. The Pakistan army chief had also reiterated the ‘two-nation theory’ in the same speech, reigniting a long-unresolved debate between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

What happened to Rahim Yar Khan airbase?

The Indian strike at Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Pakistan's Punjab left a crater on the runway, Director-General of Air Operations (DGAO) Air Marshal AK Bharti said in a press conference on Monday.

“As you can see, we have targeted the length and breadth of the adversary. I'm sure most of you would have already seen the effect of these strikes on the ground, courtesy of a large number of videos and photographs being circulated in the media,” the DGAO told the media.

Pakistani officials acknowledged the damage but contested some Indian claims, particularly the assertion that drones were launched from Rahim Yar Khan to attack Indian border villages.

The Rahim Yar Khan airbase, officially known as Shaikh Zayed Airbase, is situated about 4.6 kilometres southwest of Rahim Yar Khan city in Pakistan's Punjab. It serves as a significant Pakistan Air Force (PAF) facility with dual military and civilian use, sharing infrastructure with Shaikh Zayed International Airport. 

The airbase is strategically important due to its location, which allows rapid military deployment and operations across southern and eastern Pakistan. It hosts various PAF assets, including fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles, making it a critical forward operating base for operations facing India.