ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday strongly rejected Indian allegations of the so-called “terror boat” and termed reports alleging that the Pakistani boat was on a terror mission "baseless and preposterous".
"Pakistan is opposed to terrorism in all forms and manifestation and has been the biggest victim of terrorism," Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said in a statement.
"The people and government of Pakistan are determined to eradicate this menace from our territory," Aslam added.
A suspected Pakistani boat claimed by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to be on a terror mission exploded in the Arabian Sea on New Year’s eve following a chase, but the Indian Express reported on Friday that the vessel seemed to be on a routine smuggling trip when it was intercepted.
Aslam today also rejected comments of the spokesperson of Indian External Affairs.
Rejecting the "smugglers at sea" theory, the Indian government on Monday claimed that the Pakistani boat which sank in the Arabian Sea after being intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard had "suspected terror links", a report published on The Times of India said.
Read: 'Evidence shows Pak boat had suspected terror links'
Aslam said, "The brave armed forces of Pakistan are successfully conducting a comprehensive and across the board operation Zarb-e-Azb to root out terrorism."
She said Pakistan sees the escalation of tension by India on the Line of Control and Working Boundary — through continuous unprovoked firing and targeting of civilians — as an attempt to distract our armed forces from its valiant mission against all terrorists.
Aslam said allegations of the Indian government regarding the ‘citing’ of Punjabi/Urdu-speaking terrorist elements in Afghanistan as "baseless and malicious".
"India is reminded to refrain from attempts to create misunderstanding between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two brotherly nations bound by common destiny, shared culture, history and religion. These efforts are also in violation of all international norms," the FO spokesperson said.
