ISLAMABAD, April 12: Pakistan on Saturday blasted as a lie a statement by Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes that Pakistan was a prime case for pre-emptive strikes.

“It is a lie that has no legs to stand on,” a foreign office spokesman said in a statement.

“The whole world knows George Fernandes as an irresponsible leader who lost all credibility because of his wild and unfounded allegations against each one of India’s neighbours,” the spokesman said.

The spokesman described Mr Fernandes as a “tehlka-fame” minister, referring to an Indian television report last year on corruption in a defence deal following which he quit but was later reinstated.

The FO statement said Pakistan had caught “several Indian agents, some red-handed, who masterminded many terrorist incidents in Pakistan”.

“Indian support to terrorist movements in the region is also well documented,” it said.

The world community has lauded Pakistan’s central role in the international war against terrorism, which “continues to irk malicious leaders like George Fernandes,” the statement said.

“Instead of fretting over Pakistan the Indian leaders should shed their hegemonistic mindset and focus on settling disputes with Pakistan peacefully through negotiations,” it said.

Mr Fernandes on Friday said: “There are enough reasons to launch such (pre-emptive) strikes against Pakistan, but I cannot make public statements on whatever action may be taken.”

He said he endorsed Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha’s recent comments that India had a much better case to go for pre-emptive action against Pakistan than the US had in Iraq.—AFP