ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday firmly rejected the recent spate of false terrorism-related assertions made by India in which some detached alleged incidents are being distorted and presented as a so-called ‘terror’ plot against India.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office said that in order to build on this orchestrated ‘terrorism’ narrative against Pakistan, a section of the Indian media had 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.

It said that segments of the Indian media had deceitfully sought to link these to the preposterous claims about a so-called ‘Mumbai-style’ attack being planned.

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

“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,” the statement said.

The FO said that 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.

“India must recognise that no amount of false propaganda can deter Pakistan from exposing India’s brutalisation of the Kashmiri people,” the statement said.

“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,” it added.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2022