Pakistan has firmly pushed back against claims made by India’s home minister connecting Islamabad to a series of arrests carried out inside India, describing the accusations as a deliberate attempt to shift focus away from New Delhi’s own internal security failures.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi addressed the matter directly, stating that Pakistan rejects the allegations and accusing India of leaning on anti-Pakistan rhetoric to score points on the domestic political stage.
“Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations made by India’s Home Minister, attempting to link Pakistan with certain arrests in India,” Andrabi said in the statement.
Background on the Arrests and Shahzad Bhatti Network Claims
The allegations stem from remarks by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who said, per Reuters, that Indian security forces detained upwards of 200 individuals described as “terror operatives” with alleged ties to Pakistan. The operation reportedly spanned 14 states and took place on August 12, just three days ahead of India’s Independence Day celebrations.
Shah linked the detainees to an outfit he referred to as the Shahzad Bhatti Network, claiming the sweep had prevented a series of planned “subversive attacks” before they could be carried out.
Andrabi characterized these claims as one more instance of what he called a pattern of Indian propaganda intended to pin blame on Pakistan while distracting from unresolved security problems at home, framing it as a move driven by narrow political interests rather than fact.
“At home, India is a repressive state, brutally oppressing its minorities and silencing dissent,” Andrabi said, adding that beyond its borders, India has been “exporting terror and abetting terrorists.”
Pakistan Points to Jadhav Case as Evidence
The spokesperson argued that India’s accusations were an attempt to distract the international community from what he described as New Delhi’s own record of state-backed terrorism, targeted killings, and covert interference abroad. He said Islamabad has consistently presented evidence documenting India’s role in terrorism and destabilization efforts on Pakistani soil.
As a specific example, Andrabi cited the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the convicted Indian naval officer serving a sentence in Pakistan, calling it clear proof of India’s direct hand in subversive and terrorist activity within the country.
Andrabi closed by calling on the global community to dismiss what he termed baseless Indian accusations and instead hold New Delhi responsible for what he described as its own sponsorship of terrorism across the region.