Pakistani Senator’s Anti-India Speech in New York Sparks International Controversy

New York —
A speech delivered by Pakistani Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan at a Pakistan Peoples Party USA event titled “Maarka-e-Haq” in New York City has ignited a fierce international controversy after videos of the address went viral on social media.
In the speech, Senator Hassan made sharp anti-India remarks, repeatedly invoked the Kashmir dispute, and openly praised Pakistan’s military response during the 2025 India-Pakistan tensions. The address drew immediate backlash from multiple quarters, with American journalist and political commentator Amy Mek publishing a lengthy thread on X on May 19, describing the speech as “a direct threat issued by Pakistan on American soil.”
Critics have condemned the event as a platform for inflammatory political rhetoric being propagated on US territory. The incident has reignited debate over the boundaries of foreign political advocacy within the United States, particularly at diaspora-organized events.
Neither the Pakistani Senate nor the PPP leadership has issued an official statement in response to the growing controversy.