New Delhi: May 16: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reassess its $2.1 billion bailout package to Pakistan, arguing that such financial assistance amounts to “indirect funding of terrorism.”
Speaking to Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel at the Bhuj Air Force Station in Gujarat, Singh accused Pakistan of continuing to shelter and support terror groups that launch attacks against India. His remarks come amid heightened tensions following Operation Sindoor, a series of coordinated Indian military strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
At the time of the operation, Pakistan reportedly launched drone and missile attacks on civilian and military targets in northern India—strikes that were successfully intercepted by India’s advanced air defence systems.
“Any financial aid to Pakistan is effectively aid to terrorism,” Singh said, emphasizing that Islamabad’s long-standing policy of offering safe haven to terror outfits poses a serious threat to regional security. He cited the example of Osama bin Laden, who was found hiding in Pakistan in 2011, as evidence of the country’s complicity.
Delivering his address in front of a Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft and an S-125 Pechora surface-to-air missile system, the Defence Minister lauded the IAF for its swift and precise execution of strikes under Operation Sindoor.
“In the time it takes to have breakfast, you neutralized terrorists,” Singh told the IAF personnel, drawing loud applause.
The IMF recently disbursed the aid in two instalments as part of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility agreement signed with Pakistan last year. Singh’s comments reflect growing concerns in New Delhi over the potential misuse of international financial assistance by Pakistan to indirectly support militant activities.
