Pakistan snubs India's Pulwama 'charge sheet'

Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected the so-called “charge sheet” by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), which mischievously attempted to implicate Pakistan in the Pulwama attack that killed over 40 troops in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) last year.

“The fabrications in the reported 'charge sheet' are patently designed to further the BJP’s anti-Pakistan rhetoric and its narrow domestic political interests," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

At the outset, Pakistan had rejected India’s baseless allegations and expressed readiness to extend cooperation on the basis of any actionable information. "India failed to provide any credible evidence for its invective and has instead been using the attack for its malicious propaganda campaign against Pakistan," the statement added.

The ministry said that the timing of the Pulwama attack, just two months before the Lok Sabha elections in India, and the fact that explosives used in the attack were collected from inside the IIOJK, and the key accused persons in the attack have already been killed by Indian forces, raise too many questions. "The world knows well as to who benefited the most from Pulwama attack and drew electoral dividends."

It would be recalled that Indian military aircraft engaged in belligerent action against Pakistan on February 26, 2019. The Indian misadventure was effectively countered by the Pakistan Air Force, which resulted in the downing of two Indian warplanes and capture of an Indian pilot. Despite India's provocations, the Indian pilot was released by Pakistan as a peace gesture.

"In response to a paper shared by the Indian government following the Pulwama attack, Pakistan constituted a high-level investigation team to examine its contents."

The statement said that as the information provided by India was incomplete, patchy and unsubstantiated, Pakistan shared two aides-memoir, seeking further information and supporting evidence from India. India has been unable to provide any corroboration of its unfounded allegations.

"India cannot mislead the world community with its motivated propaganda. Indian allegations against Pakistan seek to divert attention from India’s state-terrorism in IIOJK, grave human rights violations of the Kashmiri people under Indian occupation, and the RSS-BJP regime’s mishandling of domestic issues," it added.

Pakistan has been forewarning the international community about India’s use of “false flag” operation and possible ill-conceived misadventure.

"With the approaching state elections in India, the RSS-BJP ploy of raising the Pakistan bogey again for making electoral gains is palpable. We warn the world community again to be cognisant of its dangerous consequences for peace and security in the region," the statement further said.