ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected allegations by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah linking Islamabad to the arrest of more than 200 alleged militants in India, describing the claims as part of a “malicious campaign” aimed at securing domestic political gains.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan strongly rejected the allegations and accused India of using anti-Pakistan propaganda to divert attention from its internal security challenges.
“Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations made by India’s Home Minister, attempting to link Pakistan with certain arrests in India,” Andrabi said in a statement.
According to Reuters, Amit Shah claimed that Indian security agencies had arrested more than 200 alleged “terror operatives” linked to Pakistan during a crackdown across 14 Indian states on August 12, three days before India’s Independence Day.
Shah alleged that those arrested were affiliated with a group identified as the Shahzad Bhatti Network and claimed that the arrests had thwarted planned “subversive attacks”.
Andrabi described the allegations as another example of what he called India’s campaign against Pakistan.
“Such propaganda is yet another demonstration of India’s malicious campaign against Pakistan to divert attention from its domestic security challenges and to blame Pakistan for narrow domestic political gains,” he said.
The FO spokesperson also accused India of suppressing dissent and minorities domestically while alleging that New Delhi was involved in destabilising activities outside its borders.
“At home, India is a repressive state, brutally oppressing its minorities and silencing dissent,” Andrabi said, adding that “externally, India is exporting terror and abetting terrorists.”
He said unfounded allegations against Pakistan could not divert international attention from what he described as India’s state-sponsored terrorism, targeted assassinations and subversive activities in foreign territories.
“Pakistan has repeatedly shared evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism and destabilising activities in Pakistan,” he said.
Andrabi also referred to convicted former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, saying his case was evidence of India’s alleged involvement in subversion and terrorism in Pakistan.
“Pakistan urges the international community to reject baseless Indian allegations and hold India accountable for its state-sponsored terrorism in the region,” the spokesperson said.