In a sharp rebuke of Pakistan’s crumbling infrastructure, renowned Pakistani actress Hina Khawaja Bayat has called out authorities over the absence of water at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, even as tensions with India continue to mount over the Indus Waters Treaty.
In a video posted Thursday from the airport, Hina Khawaja Bayat voiced her frustration over the lack of basic amenities at Karachi's international airport facility. “At a time when we should be proud of our country, there’s not even water in the airport washrooms,” she said.
“People are trying to perform wuzu, offer namaz, or help their children in the bathrooms — but there’s no water. It’s shameful,” Bayat added.
She went on to question the priorities of the government, accusing it of ignoring core issues while focusing on grand promises. “Everyone talks about mega projects and development, but who’s fixing the basics?” she asked. “Our airports, institutions — everything’s falling apart. No one wants to take responsibility.”
Captioning the video on social media platform, Instagram, she wrote, “Why have we as a nation become so accepting of poor service, poor systems, poor management, poor maintenance and unending system & institutional damage?”
{{/usCountry}}Captioning the video on social media platform, Instagram, she wrote, “Why have we as a nation become so accepting of poor service, poor systems, poor management, poor maintenance and unending system & institutional damage?”
{{/usCountry}}She continued, “Because we always try and justify the wrongs and prioritize useless endeavours instead of focusing on the everyday basic needs of the common citizen. It's time we take responsibility and fix things before declaring celebrations.”
The actress’s remarks come at a sensitive time for Pakistan, following India’s recent decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, in retaliation against the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people.
New Delhi has since launched a series of counter-measures, including precision strikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on May 7 under Operation Sindoor.
India has made it clear that peace talks with Pakistan are not possible unless Islamabad ends its support for cross-border terrorism. “We want to reiterate that terrorism and talks cannot go together,” reiterated ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday.
“The only discussions we’re open to are about Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and the return of listed terrorists we’ve been asking for,” he said.
He also reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance: “Terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together.”
While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently signalled openness to dialogue, India remains firm that meaningful engagement can only happen once Pakistan takes credible, irreversible steps against terrorism.