India trashes Pakistan charges over Lahore blast: 'Baseless propaganda'

INDIA on Thursday (8) strongly refuted Pakistan’s claim that it was behind the bomb blast near the house of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore in June, saying it was “baseless propaganda”. New Delhi also asked Islamabad to take “credible and verifiable” action against terrorism emanating from its soil instead.

At a media briefing, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) asked Pakistan to set its own house in order in containing terror networks and said the international community is well aware of its credentials when it comes to terrorism.

He also slammed the Pakistani leadership saying it continued to “glorify terrorists like Osama bin Laden as ‘martyrs’”.

Hafiz Saeed (Photo by Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images)

“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 said.

“The international community is well aware of Pakistan’s credentials when it comes to terrorism. This is acknowledged by none other than its own leadership, which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama Bin Laden as ‘martyrs’,” the MEA spokesperson added while answering a question on the allegations levelled recently by Pakistan.

On Sunday (4), Pakistan national security advisor Moeed Yusuf told reporters in Islamabad that the mastermind of the attack “is an Indian citizen” and he is associated with India’s 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 said.

Security officials inspect the site of an explosion that killed at least three people and injured several others in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on June 23, 2021. (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

Three persons were killed while 24 others were injured when a powerful car bomb exploded outside Saeed's residence at the Board of Revenue (BOR) Housing Society in Johar Town in Lahore on June 23.

Second biggest Indian terrorist network unearthed: Pak

On Tuesday (6), the Pakistan government alleged the second biggest Indian-sponsored terrorist network was unearthed and it was involved in the blast in Lahore, Pakistani daily Dawn reported.

According to the report, the Pakistani government decided to hold talks with angry Baloch rivals who had never sided with India during the insurgency in Balochistan in the north-west part of the country.

“This is the second biggest Indian terrorist network after Kulbhushan Jadhav (Indian spy in Pakistan’s custody); we have also managed to control the insurgency in Balochistan,” Pakistani information minister Fawad Chaudhry announced in a press conference following a cabinet meeting which was presided over by Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan.

Relations between the two rivals nosedived after India decided to withdraw the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and bifurcated the state into two union territories. Recently, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the local political parties of Jammu and Kashmir and soon after, drones were found to be causing explosions at a base of the Indian Air Force in Jammu airport, adding more to the concern of the country’s security apparatus.