NEW DELHI: The government on Sunday rejected the "irresponsible and preposterous" statement made by Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi that India is planning to attack Pakistan this month.

"India rejects the irresponsible and preposterous statement by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan with a clear objective of whipping up war hysteria in the region. This public gimmick appears to be a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India," the ministry of external affairs said.

Earlier today, Qureshi had said that Pakistan has "reliable intelligence" that India is planning to attack the country between April 16 and 20.

"A new mishap could be staged ... And its purpose will be to justify their (India's) offensive against Pakistan and to increase diplomatic pressure against Islamabad," he alleged.

"If it happens, you can imagine the impact of the occurrence on the peace and stability of the region. According to our information, the action could be taken between 16-20 April," Qureshi said, adding that preparations were being made for the attack against Pakistan.

Responding to Qureshi's claims, the government said it has been made clear to Pakistan that it cannot absolve itself of responsibility of a cross-border terrorist attack in India.

"No attempt at creating an alibi for its complicity in such attacks will succeed. Pakistan needs to take credible and irreversible steps against terrorism operating from all territories under its control rather than making hysterical statements to obfuscate the core issue that bedevils our region — cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has been advised to use established diplomatic and DGMO channels to share any actionable and credible intelligence it has about imminent terror attacks," the MEA said.

It added that India reserves the right to respond firmly and decisively to any cross-border terrorist attack.

Tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district in February.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counterterror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot , deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

(With inputs from agencies)

