NEW DELHI, April 7 - India on Sunday rejected as �irresponsible and preposterous� Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi�s comments that India was planning to attack Pakistan again between April 16 and 20.
In a strongly worded statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the comments by the Pakistani foreign minister is aimed at whipping up war hysteria in the region.
�India rejects the irresponsible and preposterous statement by the foreign minister of Pakistan with a clear objective of whipping up war hysteria in the region. This public gimmick appears to be a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India,� Kumar said.
The MEA spokesperson�s statement came hours after Qureshi said in a press conference in Multan that Pakistan has �reliable intelligence� that India is planning to attack Pakistan again between April 16 and 20.
India struck the biggest terrorist training camp of terror group Jaish-e-Muhammed deep inside Pakistan on February 26 nearly two weeks after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
On February 27, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.
Addressing a press conference in his home town of Multan, Qureshi said the government had �reliable intelligence� that India is devising a new plan. �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.
�If it happens, you can imagine the impact of the occurrence on the peace and stability of the region. According to our information, the action could be taken between 16-20 April,� Qureshi said, adding that preparations were being made for the attack against Pakistan.
The minister said Pakistan had already briefed the United Nations Security Council�s permanent members over the issue and stated Islamabad�s apprehensions. �We want the international community to take notice of this irresponsible behaviour and reprimand them [India] for taking this route,� he said. � PTI
