india

Updated: Apr 07, 2019 22:12 IST

New Delhi on Sunday said Islamabad’s claim that India is planning another attack on its soil later this month is “preposterous” and aimed at fanning war hysteria in the region.

“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,” said a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

India called upon Pakistan to not make “hysterical statement” and take the focus away from the core issues that plague the two nations. It also asked Pakistan to share any evidence it has for the claim it is making.

In retaliatory measure after the Pulwama attack by JeM suicide bomber that killed 40 CRPF jawans, India had struck terror posts in Pakistan’s Balakot.

“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. India reserves the right to respond firmly and decisively to any cross border terrorist attack,” the MEA statement further added.

Earlier today, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Islamabad has “reliable intelligence” that India is planning to attack again between April 16 and 20.

Addressing a press conference in his home town of Multan, Qureshi said the government had “reliable intelligence that India is devising a new plan”.

“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.

The foreign minister said Pakistan had already briefed the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members over the issue and stated Islamabad’s apprehensions.