On Thursday, India debunked Pakistan’s claim that a bombing in Lahore in the past month is a mastermind by the RAW intelligence agency as ‘baseless propaganda. It further asked Pakistan to concentrate on rooting out terrorism emanating from its soil.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s National Security Adviser, Moeed Yusuf claimed that the ‘main mastermind’ behind the car bomb attack on June 23, near Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed’s home in Lahore, belonged to RAW. He further blamed India for sponsoring terror activity on Pakistani soil.
On being asked about this allegation at a weekly news briefing Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry stated, “It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India.” He elaborated that 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 terrorist who have found safe sanctuaries there.
Arindam Bagchi voiced that the world community is ‘well aware of Pakistan’s credentials when it comes to terrorism.’ He further said, “This is acknowledged by none other than its own leadership which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama bin Laden as martyrs.” He clearly referred to the Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s refusal to respond to a question asked during an interview last month on whether he considers slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin laden a ‘martyr’ through his remark.
Reportedly, the car bombing near Hafiz Saeed’s home at Johar Town in Lahore last month claimed the lives of three people leaving around 20 people injured. Moeed Yusuf, Pakistan National security advisor alleged that India has a connection in financing and execution of the attack. He didn’t provide any details to back up his claims but mentioned that Pakistan has gathered ‘concrete evidence and intelligence’ in this matter.
Yusuf along with Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhury and Punjab police chief Inam Ghani addressed the media and asserted that the reports of a drone attack on the Jammu air force station in the past month were an apparent attempt to divert the world’s community attention from the car bombing in Lahore.
