India calls Pak's accusations over blast near Saeed's home baseless propaganda
text_fields
New Delhi: India reacted to Pakistan's blame over a blast that occurred near the home of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed four days after the blast. The Ministry of External Affairs rejected Pakistan's allegations that the blast was India-sponsored terrorism, terming it baseless propaganda against India.
In the blast that occurred on June 23, at least three people died and 24 people injured.
Talking to the media, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson of MEA, said the world knew well the role of Pakistan in matters related to terrorism. He called Pakistan's accusations nothing but usual baseless propaganda against India.
The glorification of terrorists like Osama bin Laden as 'martyrs' by its leadership itself testifies to its credentials with terrorism, Bagchi said.
Briefing to media about the blast, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf had told reporters in Islamabad that the blast was masterminded by an Indian citizen associated with India's Research and Analysis Wing.
Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted "planning & financing of this heinous terror attack has links to Indian sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan", and asked the "global community" to "mobilise international institutions against this rogue behaviour".
The new spurt of accusations came amid a spark between two countries to continue the stalled bilateral talks back on track. The National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is said to have been engaging with Pakistan's civilian-military leadership to resume the talks to normalize the situation.
Doval is learnt to have met Yusuf and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed in a third country; he has also kept communication channels open with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.