Islamabad: A day after India rubbished Pakistan’s claim that it was behind a deadly terrorist attack in Karachi, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday raised the issue in Parliament.
Four heavily armed militants on Monday made an attempt to take over the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi, killing three security guards and a police officer before being shot dead by security forces.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) linked Majeed Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is banned in Pakistan, the UK and the US.
What happened in Mumbai, they wanted to do the same. They wanted to spread uncertainty. We have no doubt this was done by India,” Khan said in the National Assembly.
But our security forces averted a big tragedy as the terrorists were carrying heavy arms and ammunition to take the people hostage in the Stock Exchange and kill them to create an environment of fear and uncertainty, he said.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made a similar claim.
Reacting sharply to Qureshi’s remarks, India described it as “absurd comments.”
In a strongly-worded response, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said unlike Pakistan, India has no hesitation in condemning terrorism anywhere in the world, including in Karachi.
The ties between the two nations strained following the Balakot strike when the Indian Air Force jets bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan on February 26 last year to avenge the killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14.
The ties further nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August last. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner.
Last week, India asked Pakistan to reduce the strength of its High Commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent within the next seven days and announced a reciprocal reduction in Indian strength in Islamabad.
Also read: Baloch Liberation Army, the insurgent group behind Karachi Stock Exchange attack
I believe Mooddii planned this but failed again. Keep in mind Moooooddii, even if you try to divert our focus from China, the whole nation is watching. We want to see results in Ladakh. Prove us in front of Chinaw
Ok terrorist pakisthani… india will handle china. and baloch fredom fighters will take care of coward pakisthani army.. just like they killed 50 pakisthani army last 15 days
Well, well! How does it feel to be at the receiving end of terrorism once in away, PM Imran Khan? Angry and frustrated, aren’t you? The injustice and the discrimination in the Pakistan’s political system has given raise to such an attack. Heed the message and be fair to Balochistan.
If this had happened in India. Pakistan would ask for evidence, say attackers are homegrown ‘freedom fighters’, accuse India of false flag operation to diverts attention from internal failures and talks of leadership crisis! Reality is, previously he was arguing failing economy, how the army was looking to get rid of him, now, its about this! Attackers were also so ineffective, few own soldiers as collateral never bothered any Pakistani leader!