ISLAMABAD: Disclosing that concrete evidence of India’s involvement in terrorist activities across Pak­istan was available, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said the matter would be raised with the international community including United Nations.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said India’s footprint could be clearly seen in all major terror activities in the country.

Referring to the June 2021 blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawah Chief Hafiz Saeed, the minister said there was “clear evidence” that India was involved in Lahore’s Johar Town blast that left three people dead and 22 injured.

“We have decided to take our stance before the world and unmask India’s real face and its nefarious agenda,” he said.

Mr Sanaullah said that the Foreign Office would raise this matter at different international forums. “India will be exposed because there is a clear evidence that it is directly involved.”

The minister said that the terror cell involved in the blast and having clear links with Indian intelligence agency RAW had been busted and all key characters arrested.

Punjab Counter Terror­ism Depart­ment’s Additional Inspector Gen­eral Imran Mehmood was also present.

“For decades, Pakistan has been burning in the fire of terrorism. Our mosques, Imambargahs, important buildings and gatherings have been targeted,” the minister said.

Days after the blast, the then information minister Fawad Chaudhry and Natio­nal Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf had told a presser that the mastermind of the attack was “an Indian citizen, associated with Indian intelligence agency RAW”.

AIG Mehmood said key suspect Peter Paul David was caught through details of his vehicle. “Sajjad Hussain, who was arres­­­ted alongside, was David’s assistant,” he said. “Eid Gul and his wife were arrested after 5-6 days. Gul was the person who David gave the car to and he outfitted it with ammunition and bombs,” he said, adding that the video of the blast showed Gul coming out of the vehicle.

After Gul’s interrogation, the CTD was finally able to arrest Samiul Haq, who Mehmood claimed, was the main handler of the RAW-sponsored terror activities in Pakistan, and his brother-in-law Uzair Akbar. As the investigation continued, he said, more RAW agents were uncovered.

“We also found out that close to a million dollars of terror financing was done through India to spread terrorism in Pakistan through different channels,” he revealed.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2022