New Delhi: Reacting to India’s denial of involvement in the Lahore terror attack, Pakistan on Thursday reiterated that India was behind the bomb blast near the house of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and claimed that there is “irrefutable evidence of India’s aiding, abetting and financing of this terrorist incident.”
A powerful car bomb exploded outside Hafiz Saeed’s residence in Lahore on 23 June 2021, killing three persons and causing injuries to 24 others.
On July 4, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf told reporters in Islamabad that the mastermind of the attack “is an Indian citizen” and he is associated with RAW (Research and Analysis Wing).
“Through the forensic analysis, electronic equipment, which has been recovered from these terrorists, we have identified the main mastermind and the handlers of this terrorist attack and we have absolutely no doubt or reservation in informing you that the main mastermind belongs to RAW,” Moeed had said.
Responding to the allegations levelled by the Pakistani NSA, India on Thursday (July 8) strongly trashed Pakistan’s claim as “baseless propaganda.
At a media briefing, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi asked Pakistan to focus on setting its own house in order in containing terror networks.
“It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India. Pakistan would do well to expend the same effort in setting its own house in order and taking credible and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorists who have found safe sanctuaries there,” Bagchi was quoted by news agency PTI.
However, in a series of tweets, the Spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a rebuttal to India’s denial and reiterated its previous claim.
“We reject Indian denial of involvement in the 23 June 2021 terrorist attack in Lahore. There is irrefutable evidence of India’s aiding, abetting, and financing of this terrorist incident. We have pointed out in the past also Indian state-sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan,” the spokesperson stated.
Accusing India of state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan, the spokesperson added, “There is no doubt that the intelligence agency from across the border was involved in planning and executing terrorist attacks against Pakistan. Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is the most familiar and undeniable face of India’s state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan.”
The spokesperson further stated that it is the collective responsibility of the world community to hold India to account.
With agency inputs