AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has urged the Indian government to go beyond rhetoric and seize control of territories across the Line of Control (LoC), citing unverified reports that Pakistani soldiers have recently withdrawn from forward posts.

“If Pakistani troops have left and their people are fleeing abroad, then why wait? Go and occupy the land. Don’t stop this time—go there and stay,” Owaisi said at a press conference on Thursday. His comments came in response to media reports about Pakistani military positions being abandoned and several families relocating to London.

Owaisi challenged the Centre to act on its long-standing declarations. “Instead of just saying ‘ghar mein ghus ke maarenge’ [we’ll strike them in their own territory], go and take the land. If it’s empty, sit there. Don’t retreat,” he said, referring to earlier remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also expressed regret that, in his view, the government failed to take control of terror launch sites in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack. “That was the moment. They claimed to have entered Pakistan and struck. They should have stayed and taken the launching pads too.”

Owaisi stressed that the Indian Parliament has already passed a resolution affirming that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an integral part of India. “That’s not just my opinion — it’s a commitment made in Parliament. So take action accordingly,” he said.

Citing a series of terrorist attacks — from the bombings at Hyderabad’s Lumbini Park and Dilsukhnagar to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the Pulwama convoy strike — Owaisi said the toll of terrorism has been heavy. He recounted the deaths of a Telugu scholar’s daughter and a young bride from Nizamabad in the Mumbai attacks, and reminded that seven pilgrims were killed near Vaishno Devi just last year.

“The government is in power. It’s your responsibility to end this once and for all. We, in the opposition, have repeatedly asked for firm and final action,” he concluded.