National, Feb 7: India on February 6 firmly rejected Pakistan’s allegations linking New Delhi to a suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others, describing the claims as baseless and condemnable.
The Ministry of External Affairs denied any involvement in the attack and said Pakistan was attempting to divert attention from its own internal challenges by blaming others for what it termed “home-grown ills”. India also expressed condolences over the loss of lives caused by the bombing.
According to Pakistani police, the attack took place during Friday prayers at the Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of the capital, when a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the premises, leading to heavy casualties.
Condemning the incident, the MEA said the bombing was deplorable and reiterated India’s sympathy with the victims and their families. It added that it was unfortunate for Pakistan to shift blame externally instead of addressing deep-rooted issues affecting its own society.
India categorically dismissed all allegations, stating that such claims were both baseless and pointless. The MEA underlined that New Delhi rejects any attempt to link it to acts of terrorism.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without offering any evidence, alleged that India and Afghanistan were connected to the attack. In a social media post, he claimed that the attacker had travelled to and from Afghanistan and suggested collusion between the two countries.
India reiterated its long-standing position that it opposes terrorism in all forms and has consistently denied Pakistan’s repeated allegations linking it to militant attacks within Pakistani territory.
