# Zardari claims Pakistan Hindus prefer staying, not India

2026-08-15T15:52:28+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari claimed Hindus in Pakistan “would rather be with us than India” while accusing Indians of believing in “Akhand Bharat”. He spoke at a 14 August Independence Day gathering. Zardari said Pakistan’s 4% Hindu population is “as free as anywhere else”. Times Now reported that Pakistan’s Hindu and Sikh minorities, once 15-20% of the population at partition, have shrunk to 3-4% due to persecution and forced conversions. Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad wants peace but warned against interpreting it as weakness. He also accused India of illegally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, calling water a “red line”.

## Coverage

- nationalheraldindia.com <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/zardari-claims-pakistans-hindus-prefer-staying-amid-akhand-bharat-remark>
- timesnownews.com <https://www.timesnownews.com/world/asia/asif-ali-zardari-claims-india-believes-in-akhand-bharat-but-pakistan-hindus-prefer-staying-with-us-article-155682027>

Tags: Asif Ali Zardari, India, Indus Waters Treaty, Operation Sindoor, Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif
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