India’s strong protest and demand for probe into the presence of a drone over its High Commission complex in Islamabad have been rejected by Pakistan, which termed the reports as a “propaganda campaign”.

According to Indian authorities, the drone was seen hovering over the high commission premises in Pakistan’s capital city on June 26 while an event was underway.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs demanded the Pakistan government investigate the incident.

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “A drone was spotted over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan on 26th June. This has been taken up officially with the government of Pakistan. We expect Pakistan to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such breach of security”.

The Indian mission is located at a fortified diplomatic enclave across an important stretch of road that passes in front of Pakistan’s Foreign Office and a residential complex for the officials working at the mission is located at a short distance.

While the entire enclave is guarded by the Pakistani forces, there is an additional layer of security around the Indian mission.

“We have seen the Indian MEA’s [Ministry of External Affairs] statement and reports in certain sections of the Indian media alleging a drone flying over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.

Calling the claim “preposterous”, he said it had no factual basis while India had not shared any proof with Pakistan to substantiate the allegations.

He also referred to last month’s Lahore explosion, saying that a propaganda campaign by India is also happening at a time when the evidence so far collected is “increasingly pointing to external forces with a history of perpetrating state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan”.

A foreigner identified as David Paul was taken into custody at the Lahore airport on June 25 in connection with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) blast in the city’s Johar Town area in which four people died and 20 others, including women and children sustained injuries, Pakistan’s media outlet Tribune reported.

The sighting of the drone over the high commission complex comes close on the heels of the armed drone attack on an Indian Air Force base at Jammu on June 27.

The technology used in drone strikes on the Indian Air Force base indicates "state support" and the involvement of Pakistan-based terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lieutenant General DP Pandey, Corps Commander of the 15 Corps in Srinagar, told NDTV.

According to Indian experts, the drone attack marks a new chapter in “Pakistan’s proxy war” against India in Jammu and Kashmir, said a Hindustan Times report.

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had highlighted the issue of drones being used by terrorists to launch offensives at the recent meeting of NSAs of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the report informed.

He had stressed the need to monitor new technologies used by terrorists including drones for smuggling of weapons.

(SAM)