Continuing their polemical exchanges, Islamabad has asked India to dismantle what it calls “terror infrastructure against Pakistan” as it rejected New Delhi's denial of involvement in last month's terrorist attack in Lahore.

"We call upon India to dismantle its terror infrastructure against Pakistan, arrest the perpetrators of the Lahore attack, and bring them to justice without any delay," a statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

Pakistan issued the rejoinder after the Indian external affairs ministry describing as “baseless propaganda” allegations about the involvement of intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the June 23 explosion near the residence of proscribed Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore’s Johar Town that killed three people and left 24 injured.

In a strongly-worded statement in New Delhi, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi had asked Pakistan to set its own house in order by taking action against terrorists enjoying safe sanctuaries in its territory.

“It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India. Pakistan would do well to expend the same effort in setting its own house in order and taking credible and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorists who have found safe sanctuaries there,” Bagchi said at a weekly media briefing.

He also referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement last year in the National Assembly where he called former Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, who for long was hiding in Pakistan's Abbottabad,  a "martyr".

Bagchi said the international community was aware of Pakistan’s history with terrorism. “This is acknowledged by none other than its own leadership, which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama bin Laden as (a) martyr”.

Pakistan has claimed its investigations into the attack concluded that RAW was directly involved in the blast and the main mastermind was an Indian having links with the agency.
"We reject Indian denial of involvement in the June 23, 2021, terrorist attack in Lahore. There is irrefutable evidence of India’s aiding, abetting and financing of this terrorist incident," Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in the statement.

"We have pointed out in the past also Indian state sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan," he added.

He alleged the intelligence agency from across the border was involved in planning and executing terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was caught red-handed in March 2016, is the most familiar and undeniable face of India’s state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan, the spokesperson said.

"Use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy by India makes it culpable under international law, UN sanctions regime, and international counter-terrorism conventions," he said.

The spokesperson said it was the collective responsibility of the world community to hold India to account and take practical steps to proceed against the Indian nationals involved in patronage of terrorism against Pakistan.

"Pakistan’s credentials in the fight against terrorism do not need endorsement by India. Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism perpetrated by al-Qaeda, its affiliates and state-sponsored terrorism.

"Pakistan’s sacrifices and its achievements in fighting terrorism have been recognised by the world," the spokesperson said, according to The Express Tribune.

The continuing spat over New Delhi’s allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in the recent drone attack on an Indian Air Force station in Jammu and Kashmir and spotting of a drone over the Indian High Commission building in Islamabad and Pakistan’s return fire on the Lahore blast have put the process of rapprochement at a halt as the two sides were no more talking to each other through backchannels.

The backchannel talks helped the renewal of 2003 ceasefire agreement in February but the two sides could not take further steps leading to the resumption of formal talks.

The latest blame game is likely to further deepen tensions between the two neighbors who have fought three full-scale war since India’s partition and formation of Pakistan in 1947.

(SAM)