India planning another attack against Pak: Qureshi

Kashmir Times. Dated: 4/8/2019 2:08:11 PM

ISLAMABAD, Apr 7 (Agencies): Pakistan has “reliable intelligence” that India will attack again this month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday, as tension over a February standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours had appeared to ease.
The attack could take place between April 16 and 20, he said, adding that Pakistan had told the five permanent members of the UN Security Council of its concerns.
A suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel on February 14 and the risk of conflict rose dramatically on February 27, when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base.
The following day Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured its pilot who was later released.
“We have reliable intelligence that India is planning a new attack on Pakistan. As per our information this could take place between April 16 and 20,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters in his hometown of Multan.
He did not elaborate on what evidence Pakistan had or how he could be so specific with the timing, but he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had agreed to share the information with the country.
Qureshi during a press conference said that the government had “reliable intelligence that India is devising a new plan.” “Preparations are being made, and there are chances of another attack against Pakistan. According to our information, the action could be taken between April 16 and 20,” Qureshi said. “A new mishap could be staged...And its purpose will be to justify their (India's) offensive against Pakistan and to increase diplomatic pressure against Islamabad,” he alleged and added, “If it happens, you can imagine the impact of the occurrence on the peace and stability of the region.”
Qureshi said that Pakistan already briefed the United Nations Security Council's permanent members - over the issue and stated Pakistan's apprehensions. “We want the international community to take notice of this irresponsible behaviour and reprimand them (India) for taking this route,” he said.
“I am saying it with responsibility and I have a responsible position, I know each word I say would make headlines in the international press,” he said, stressing the reliability of his claim.
Qureshi said the planned aggression was aimed at “increasing diplomatic pressure against Pakistan.”
Earlier Pakistan PM Imran Khan blamed India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “whipping up war hysteria” over claims that India shot down a Pakistani F-16 during the February standoff.
India said it, too, had shot down a Pakistani aircraft and the air force displayed pieces of a missile that it said had been fired by a Pakistani F-16 before it went down.
The success of Indian air strikes on a camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant group in northwestern Pakistan has also been thrown into doubt after satellite images showed little sign of damage.
Pakistan closed its airspace amid the standoff but most commercial air traffic has since resumed and major airports have opened.

 

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