Pakistan on Sunday firmly rejected the “recent spate of false terrorism-related assertions” by India, stating that some “detached” purported incidents were being presented as a “so-called terror plot”.

In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad referred to recent incidents reported by the Indian media.

“In order to build on this orchestrated ‘terrorism’ narrative against Pakistan, a section of the Indian media has reported that India had intercepted a message from a ‘Pakistani’ WhatsApp number as well as seized an ‘empty boat’ in Maharashtra along with some weapons,” he said, adding that some segments of the Indian media had also sought to link these to “preposterous claims about a so-called ‘Mumbai style’ attack being planned”.

Separately, the Indian media has also reported that the Indian intelligence and border forces were on high alert for possible ‘cross-border infiltration’ attempts along Rajauri, the FO said.

“All this is nothing but continuation of the sinister Indian design to yet again raise the ‘terrorism’ bogey to malign Pakistan. We reject these allegations and Indian machinations outrightly.

“This mischievous Indian propaganda campaign and baseless allegations against Pakistan reflect India’s utter desperation emanating from its complete failure to break the will of the Kashmiri people in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“The possibility of a choreographed ‘false flag activity’ to target Pakistan and negatively affect its political and economic interests cannot be ruled out, as Indian propaganda is pointing in that direction,” the FO statement said.

India must recognise that no amount of its false propaganda can deter Pakistan from exposing India’s brutalisation of the Kashmiri people through an unabated military siege, indiscriminate use of force, extra-judicial killings, incarceration of Kashmiri leaders and youth, crackdown on the media and human rights activists, and denial of access to international human rights and humanitarian organisations.

“While strongly denouncing the latest Indian insinuations and allegations, Pakistan calls upon India not to make any mistake again. Pakistan stands ready and resolute and is fully capable of effectively responding to any misadventure as was manifestly evident in response to India’s ill-advised and irresponsible action in February 2019,” the FO spokesperson said, referring to when Indian planes violated Pakistani airspace and conducted air strikes inside Pakistani territory.

Timeline: Events leading up to the Feb 2019 Pak-India aerial combat

“Pakistan also urges the international community to take immediate cognizance of the fact that India is yet again resorting to classic ‘false flag’ methods to advance its sinister designs and that this could have serious implications for peace and security in the region. The international community must urge India to act responsibly.”

The FO said that India should also be held accountable for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in IIOJK.

“The realisation of sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia remains contingent upon peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the statement concluded.