India lodges protest with Pakistan envoy against ‘cross-border terrorism’

• Spokesman claims India has recently arrested an alleged LeT terrorist from Raiwind who was tasked with carrying out attacks on Indian security personnel
• Pakistani HC rejects allegation, says India should change its attitude

A day after Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti accused Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of masterminding the suicide attack at Quetta Civil Hospital, India summoned Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit to lodge a protest against “continuing cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned the Pakistan envoy and specifically mentioned ” a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, who was apprehended recently” in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).

The “strong demarche” says Bahadur Ali, 20, a resident of Raiwind, Lahore, was arrested in IHK on July 25 by Indian authorities, Swarup said.

An AK-47 rifle, live rounds of ammunition, grenades, a grenade launcher, and “sophisticated communications equipment and other material of Pakistani/international origin” were recovered from his possession, the spokesman added.

“Bahadur Ali confessed to our authorities that after receiving training in LeT camps, he infiltrated India. He was thereafter in touch with the ‘operations room’ of LeT, receiving instructions to attack Indian security personnel and carry out other terrorist attacks in India,” the demarche said.

The statement goes on to say that Bahadur Ali has requested legal aid and permission to meet his family, and that India is prepared to grant consular access to the suspected terrorist.

“The Indian government strongly protests against the continued infiltration from Pakistan of trained terrorists with instructions to carry out attacks,” the demarche says, adding that such incidents are “contrary to assurances given by Pakistani leaders at the highest level”.

Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense in the wake of weeks-long violence in IHK as both governments criticise the other’s reactions and statements after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by Indian government forces, spurring a wave of violence and anti-government protests in the restive Himalayan region.

PAKISTAN HC REJECTS CHARGE:

Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit rejected the allegations levelled by India against Pakistan, adding that India needs to change its attitude.

Abdul Basit said that the allegations being levelled by India against Pakistan are baseless, adding that Pakistan will not be intimidated by hollow threats. He stated that Bahadur Ali was not a Pakistani national.The Pakistani envoy told the Indian foreign secretary that rather than hurling allegations against Pakistan, India should stop violating human rights in Kashmir.