Fascinating take by Taha Siddiqui.
Taha is in exile.
He says Red Fort and the bombing in Pakistan both done by Munir. Is it sour grapes or does he have evidence that points to Munir?
“
Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist living in exile in Paris, is a strong critic of Pakistan’s military. He has claimed on X that the suicide bombers involved in the Delhi and Islamabad blasts were ‘assets’ of the Pakistan Army. Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui has linked the recent blasts in Delhi and Islamabad to suicide bombers he termed as ‘assets’ of the Pakistan Army. His claim has drawn wide reactions online. The blast near Red Fort in India on November 10 claimed at least 13 lives while 12 people were killed in the Islamabad explosion, the next day, on November 11.”
https://newsable.asianetnews.com/amp/world/pakistani-journalist-taha-siddiqui-pak-army-assets-claims-delhi-islamabad-blasts-articleshow-r0sg3mc
Published by
Manav Sachdeva
Manav Sachdeva Maasoom (also known as Maasoom Shah, and MS Maasoom) is a poet, diplomat, chief international officer with McCann Kyiv, and writes literature in Urdu and English, with some contributions in Punjabi as well. His work is listed on Mr. Urdu Poetry website (mrurdupoetry.com).
Manav Sachdeva Maasoom Shah was the New York City Luce Foundation and the United Nations Poet Laureate for 2015. His first book, The Sufi’s Garland, was published by Roman Books Kolkata in 2011. His second book, Siyaah Shaam Ka Ikhtetaam (The End of a Very Dark Evening), is expected to go to press this year (2020). He studied Poetry and Policy Studies for his Master’s at Columbia University, and at Harvard University Olympia Program in Comparative Literature, Society, and Culture through a full Kokallis Foundation Scholarship.
Manav Sachdeva Maasoom Shah grew up in Ludhiana, Punjab, India till fifteen, went to high school and undergraduate in California, dropped out of a seven-year UCR-UCLA Biomed program for the love of poetry writing and social reform as a shock decision for a scion of doctors, pursued love of literature and languages through an arduous journey at various universities and through various loans and scholarships (Ann Arbor—University of Michigan) and Harvard and Columbia.
View all posts by Manav Sachdeva
Feel free to agree or disagree
great post – thanks
I will repost my comment that was deleted on Kabir’s thread regarding Op Sindoor:
>>“Operation Sindoor” obviously didn’t go well for them the first time (contrary to the bluster of right-wing Indians on BP).
I struggle to understand why educated Pakistanis are so willing to embrace a propaganda line from their Military so unquestioningly.
When we look back at the short conflict post-Pahalgam in May 2025, what are the verifiable events that occurred? Did India succeed in targeting and bombing the Bahawalpur HQ of Jaish? A proscribed terror organization? In the subsequent Ind-Pak escalation, the IAF was also successful in bombing almost a dozen PAF bases. All of this is confirmed by drone footage, Pakistani civilian footage, and third party satellite photos. Meanwhile the consensus is that Pakistani attempts at retaliation via drones, missiles etc was largely ineffective – once again, proven out with satellite photos. Now did the IAF lose a handful of jets in the initial attack? Sure. But does the expectation and definition of “success” require a totally one-sided 200-0 scoreline? And anything short of that, is somehow a “win” for PakMil and a “Loss” for India”? How does that make sense?
I can understand the incentives for why PakMil would want to skew the narrative in that way, and cover itself in awards and titles. And I can also understand the desire to chest-thump over the downing of the IAF jets. That much makes sense – However the repeated shouting over the proclamation of ‘defeat’ for India. This claim that “Op Sindoor didn’t go well”? How is that logical. If your adversary bombs buildings on your territory associated with UN-Proscribed terrorist organizations, and then bombs your bases, command centers, runaways while you are unable to achieve anything remotely similar, how is this a “loss” for them?
Sure this is expected from PakMil – an organization that has initiated and lost 4 wars with India, and still celebrates victories and insists it never lost. But in the 2025, the so-called information age, its not the 1970s anymore. How are educated Pakistanis with access to the internet, and the facts, still willingly embracing misinformation? And more importantly, why?
When misinformation becomes the dominant narrative, it leads to disastrously wrong conclusions – this is an issue on both sides of the border. I don’t understand why a conversation on “Op Sindoor” can’t be based on rational discussion of the facts.
Because then they will have to reconcile with an existential crisis – that the formation of Pakistan was a mistake and they have a dark fate lying for them.
Three of those four wars ended in a draw. The exception is obviously 1971 which led to the surrender of East Pakistan. Other than that, the ceasefire line of 1947-1948 is still essentially unchanged today. Now both countries have nuclear weapons. You are not going to change that ceasefire line.
For Pakistan, a draw with India counts as a victory. Compelling the enemy into a ceasefire (brokered by the United States as the whole world except India admits) is a victory.
“Operation Sindoor” didn’t go well because Pakistan is in a much better place diplomatically than it was before the conflict occurred in May. We are now in America’s good books. Your country, on the other hand, has 50% tariffs placed on it.
The Field Marshal is much more secure and much more powerful than he was prior to May. All thanks to India’s aggression against Pakistan.
Go ahead and try attacking Pakistan again. I dare you. You will find that America and China will be on Pakistan’s side. This is why your government is trying to save face and will not blame Pakistan directly.
As for “facts”: we’ve gone over this many times. The right-wing Indian POV you profess is your opinion not the “facts”.
You are not on America and China’s “side”, you are their “pet”.
Never forget that.
Now go fetch. Shoo.
Both Kargil and Op Gibraltar (1965) were initiated by PakMil, and ended in humiliating failure.
Arguably the Pakistani invasion of J&K also failed to achieve its objectives – the territorial gains that Pakistan came away with were achieved prior to India obtaining legal accession and sending in its armed forces.
In fact, there is a strong argument to be made that entirety of J&K could and would have gone to Pakistan – a la Junagadh. But Pakistan’s haste in resorting to violence cost it 2/3rd of what it sees as “rightfully theirs”. Because given the Maharaja’s dilly-dallying, Pak’s chances at getting a ‘plebescite’ or a ruling in its favor would have been much stronger without the invasion. But it is what it is. PakMil is a consistent ‘genius’ at manufacturing strategic defeat while pursuing tactical innovation.
I am not sure what any of this historical cherrypicking has to do with my comment – the fact that the May 2025 conflict was mostly a one-sided beat-down.
Regarding the post-conflict fallout – I mean it does not take a genius to figure out that it left Pakistan in even more desperate need of foreign support. And geopolitical powers are always going to be quick to take advantage of cheap arbitrage opportunities, especially given Pakistan’s geographi location.
Its up to Pakistanis if they wish to see the diplomatic jockeying as a ‘victory’. Vassaldom can be seen as such. Its no problem really.
In the video message, several Pakistan players thanked the Sri Lankan squad for remaining in the country after Tuesday’s explosion in Islamabad and urged local fans to fill the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in support of both teams during the remaining matches.
How you play the game matters. Cricket is not Politics.
https://www.newswire.lk/2025/11/13/thank-you-sri-lanka-pakistan-players-thank-sri-lanka-team-in-heartfelt-video/
The reaction of the Sri Lankan cricket team is to be commended.
They should have left and Pakistan should be banned from hosting.
The biggest team in the world doesn’t play in Pakistan showing how unsafe it is.
They should have left
Sri Lankans are chill and this is a game.
Sportsmanship is more important than politics
Sri Lankans dont burn our Captains house because SL team lost.
Our motto is win or loose we booze. Even if we loose we party
Australia vs Sri Lanka T20 | Sri lanka Papare band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My8dQ9YhEjQ
Win or lose we booze
The first time ever I got to watch a cricket game at a stadium was in Barbados at the T20 World Cup. Hung out with some SL diaspora fans afterwards. Cool bunch.
I play cricket in a recreational league in the summers occasionally. The team I play with is more than 40% Lankan.
Something about island geography, and maybe also lower population density, Islanders seem to be relatively a much more ‘chill’ bunch.
On this I agree. Especially given the history of their players actually escaping with bullets in their bodies.
Just as Indians find the Pakistani argument that Pahalgam was a false flag to be extremely offensive, Pakistanis will find this argument that our Field Marshal is responsible for the Islamabad attack to be extremely offensive and inflammatory.
This thread is ill-judged. Unless one has actual evidence against the Field Marshal, it is slander to accuse him of orchestrating terrorist attacks in our national capital.
Calling a dog a dog is not slander.
Your double-standards always leaves me unsurprised.
There is plenty of circumstantial evidence to make the case that the Pahalgam perpetrators’ puppet strings were – directly or indirectly – linked to the ISI, and to “FM” Munir.
There is also historical evidence that demonstrates that the TTP and the alphabet soup of organizations that carry out violence in Pakistan have direct links with the ISI. It is Pakistanis themselves afterall who came up with the protest slogan – “Yeh jo deheshatgardi hai, iske peeche Vardi hai”.
Pretending to be offended over such things, is just weaponized aggression to paper over denialism.
Demanding these facts not be discussed or be “deleted” is censorship of the propaganda Right-wing kind.
India was not able to present any credible evidence of Pakistan’s involvement. I know you have a certain opinion. You are a Right Wing Indian and certainly not a “peacenick”.
But as far as the international community is concerned, no credible evidence was provided. This is why most of the world sees “Operation Sindoor” as Indian aggression against Pakistan.
It is slander to accuse the Field Marshal of orchestrating a devastating attack on our national capital.
>India was not able to present any credible evidence of Pakistan’s involvement.
Given that mainstream Pakistanis were arguing about Kasab not being Pakistani for years, I understand that credibility in Pakistan on terrorists attacking India, requires….an entirely different level of evidence.
The organization responsible claimed credit for the attack. And then their handlers kicked them on their butts and they subsequently retracted their claim. Observers capable of objectivity are aware of the evidence.
Is Munir not fully in control of PakMil and ISI? Does the ISI not have linkages with the Haqqanis, the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban?
Given the historical track record and ‘evidence’, there is no reason to be so fully confident ISI was not indirectly connected to the folks who carried out the attack.
Calling a dog a dog is not “slander”
Doggos are special beings, mate
[…] us start from the beginning. My Grandmothers mother was an Irish Nanny. Hearsay and rumor confirmed by my DNA tests. The Irish Nanny had my grandmother with my GreatGrandFather and left Ceylon. My GreatGrandfather […]