Pakistan rejects India's 'irresponsible' statement linking Islamabad to Jammu drone attack

Pakistan on Wednesday rejected an Indian official's claim that Islamabad's involvement in the Indian Air Force base at Jammu airport could not be ruled out.

The Foreign Office, in a statement, categorically rejected the "irresponsible and misleading statement" as Indian Home Minister G Kishan Reddy chose not to share any evidence in this regard.

"The Indian government has once again leveled serious allegations against Pakistan. This is yet another manifestation of the unsubstantiated propaganda and smear campaign against Pakistan that is characteristic of the Indian government and an obliging Indian media," the statement said.

This is a familiar Indian ploy to externalise any blame, use baseless allegations against Pakistan as a smokescreen, and seek to undermine the indigenous struggle for self-determination of the Kashmiri people, the Foreign Office said.

The statement underlined that the latest allegations further confirmed what Pakistan has consistently pointed out that the BJP government stages false flag operations to malign Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations for narrow political gains.

The use of the Pakistan card either to win an election or to divert attention from an electoral defeat has also, unfortunately, become standard practice, it noted.

"Pakistan calls upon India to refrain from its reprehensible propaganda campaign as no amount of Indian falsehoods can succeed in diverting attention from India’s serious crimes in [India-occupied Kashmir]," it said.

The minister, speaking to ANI a day earlier, had said that a probe into the incident was underway, but "one cannot deny the role of Pakistan" in the attack.

“There is complete peace in Jammu and Kashmir except for the sponsored violence from Pakistan," he had said.

Two blasts took place at an Indian Air Force base in Jammu airport during the early hours of Sunday, according to various Indian media reports.

The blasts, as per Indian media, were caused by drones while another IED explosive, meant for use in a possible strike at a "crowded place", was thwarted, reports quoted Indian police as saying.

One of the bombs, as per the report, damaged the roof of a building in the technical section while the other exploded in an open area.