ISLAMABAD: The For­eign Office on Wednesday dismissed Indian allegations about Pakistan’s role in a drone attack in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as “irresponsible”.

“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible and misleading statement by Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy regarding an alleged drone attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the FO said.

Mr Reddy had earlier said that Pakistan’s role could not be ruled out in the Jammu Air Force station attack.

Indian Air Force had on Sunday reported that two low-intensity explosions occurred in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station in the disputed territory.

Indian security officials later claimed that explosives-laden drones had been used to carry out the attack.

Mr Reddy said investigations were under way.

The FO said that India was levelling serious allegations against Pakistan without providing any evidence.

“This is yet another manifestation of the unsubstantiated propaganda and smear campaign against Pakistan that is characteristic of the Indian government and an obliging Indian media,” the FO maintained in a statement.

“This is a familiar Indian ploy to externalise any blame, use baseless allegations against Pakistan as a smokescreen, and seek to undermine the indigenous struggle for self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” it added.

The FO observed that the drone attack allegations confirmed Pakistan’s fears about the BJP government staging “false flag” operations to malign Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations for narrow political gains.

“The use of Pakistan card either to win an election or to divert attention from an electoral defeat has also unfortunately become a standard practice,” it maintained, calling on Delhi to stop the “reprehensible propaganda campaign”.

“No amount of Indian falsehood can succeed in diverting the attention from India’s serious crimes in IIOJK,” the FO said.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2021