The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan for accusing India of sponsoring terrorism and called it a “desperate attempt” by the neighbouring country to divert attention from its own activities.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava called Pakistan’s accusations “another futile anti-India propaganda exercise”. “The so-called claims of ‘proof’ against India enjoy no credibility, are fabricated and represent figments of imagination,” Srivastava said in response to questions on Pakistan’s allegations.
Srivastava was referring to a comment made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday. Qureshi had said during a press briefing that Pakistan had “irrefutable evidence” of India’s direct sponsorship of terrorism on its soil and that the proof will be shared with the United Nations, Reuters reported.
The foreign ministry spokesperson said that no one will believe Pakistan’s version, given its record in dealing with terrorism. “This desperate attempt will find few takers as the international community is aware of Pakistan’s tactics and proof of its terror sponsorship has been admitted by none other than its own leadership,” Srivastava added.
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Srivastava went on to list several instances where Pakistan had admitted to involvement in terror activities. “The face of global terror, Osama Bin Laden, was found in Pakistan,” he said. “Pakistan’s PM glorified him as a ‘martyr’ from the floor of Parliament; he admitted [to] the presence of 40,000 terrorists in Pakistan.”
“Their [Pakistan’s] science and technology minister proudly claimed involvement and success of Pakistan, led by its prime minister, in the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 Indian soldiers were martyred.”
— MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava
Srivastava accused Pakistan of trying to justify “cross-border terrorism, including ceasefire violations and infiltration across the LoC [Line of Actual Control] and IB [International Border]”. He added that “concocting documents and peddling false narratives” will not absolve Pakistan of its actions. “Pakistani leaders have never hidden the fact that it has become a factory for producing terrorists,” he said. “India is not the only neighbour to be targeted as underlined by the statements of countries similarly targeted.”
Tensions between the two neighbouring countries heightened after ceasefire violation at several places along the LoC on Friday. Eleven people, including six civilians, four Indian Army soldiers and a Border Security Force sub inspector, were killed in the firing. Six people, including a Pakistani soldier, died in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
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