Pakistan on Sunday accused India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of carrying out the blasts near the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Syed’s Lahore residence on June 23. The bomb attacks killed three people while injuring 24.
National Security Advisor (NSA) for Pakistan Dr Moeed Yousuf alleged that the new flying drone attacks in Jammu were a ‘deflection tactic’ by Indian authorities to mask the deeds of RAW in Lahore. He also said that Pakistan has gathered enough evidence to figure out that the Indian agency is behind that Lahore bomb attack.
On June 23, a vehicle with explosives blew up near Jamaat-ud-Dawah’s chief Hafiz Saeed, who is also the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Saeed has been banned by Indian authorities.
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Yousuf further said that Islamabad has “concrete evidence and intelligence” based on financial and telephone records of Indian agencies, adding “forensic analysis and electronic equipment recovered from these terrorists" helped identifying Pakistan as the main culprit.
"We have concrete evidence and intelligence, including financial and telephone records, of this particular incident in Lahore, which point towards direct Indian sponsorship of these terrorists," Yousaf said at a joint presser with information minister Fawad Chaudhry and Punjab police chief Inam Ghani.
"We have absolutely no doubt or reservation in informing you that the main mastermind of the attack is an Indian citizen, and he is associated with RAW,” he added.
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When further questioned by the media if this was enough to determine if the attacks carried out were truly from India, Yousuf went on to allege that there were multiple cyberattacks faced by him and his agencies.
"We have evidence...The cyberattacks were an attempt to foil our investigation and buy time for the terror network to disperse," he said.
He then said that Pakistan has no doubt that the Lahore bombing and concurrent cyberattacks were linked. Furthermore, Yusuf alleged that India has been using “third world country” to carry out these attacks, without naming the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded his law enforcement and asked the world to make note of India’s “rogue behaviour”.
"I appreciate the diligence and speed of Punjab police’s counter-terrorism department...and commend the excellent coordination of all our civil and military intelligence agencies," he tweeted.
