India says its 'steadfast unity' a challenge to Pakistan

Pakistan attacking religious sites in India to impart a communal hue to conflict, says Foreign Secretary

New Delhi: Pakistan is stooping to a new low by targeting religious places in India out of desperation to impart a communal hue to the conflict, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.

“India’s steadfast unity in itself is a challenge to Pakistan,” he said, slamming the government of the neighbouring country for trying to deceive the world by disowning the acts of aggression by its military. The foreign secretary dismissed Islamabad’s allegation that India targeted the gurdwara at the birthplace of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

He had earlier said that the April 22 attack at Baisaran near Pahalgam in J&K had also been carried out by a gang of Pakistani and Pakistani-linked terrorists with the objective of triggering communal discord in India.

The foreign secretary said on Friday that Islamabad’s allegation that India attacked its own cities was “the kind of deranged fantasy” that only Pakistan could come up with, as history showed that it was well-versed in such action.

Misri, along with Colonel Sophiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, was briefing the journalists about Pakistan’s continued offensive targeting civilians as well as military infrastructure in India.

He said that the Indian Armed Forces responded “proportionately, adequately, and responsibly” to the provocative and escalatory actions by Pakistan late Thursday and early Friday, targeting cities and civilian infrastructure, in addition to some military targets, in India.

“What I want to underline is that the official and blatantly farcical denial of these attacks that Pakistan carried out by the Pakistani state machinery is yet another example of their duplicity, and the new depths that they are plumbing in their quest for disinformation,” said the foreign secretary.

New Delhi also rubbished Islamabad’s claim that the armed forces of Pakistan had not targeted civilians or any religious sites in India.

Misri told journalists on Friday that a shell fired from Pakistan had landed just behind the Christ School, run by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, a congregation, in Poonch on Wednesday. “Tragically, the shell fired from Pakistan hit the home of two students of the Christ School. Both students, unfortunately, lost their lives and their parents were severely injured,” he added.

He also cited the example of another shell fired by the Pakistan Army striking a Christian Convent of Nuns belonging to the congregation of the Mother of Carmel, damaging water tanks and destroying solar panel infrastructure. Several priests, nuns, school staff and residents took refuge in an underground hall beneath the Christ School during the shelling by Pakistan. “The school happened to be closed at the time, fortunately. Otherwise, more losses would have occurred.”

“Again, we have seen the Pakistani side targeting and shelling places of worship with a particular design. This includes Gurdwaras, these convents, and temples. This is a new low, even for Pakistan,” Misri said, slamming the government and the armed forces of the neighbouring country.

Islamabad had earlier claimed that India deliberately targeted mosques at Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan, while carrying out Operation Sindoor early on Wednesday.

New Delhi turned the table on Islamabad, pointing out that Pakistan, contrary to what it claimed, had launched a targeted attack on the Sikh community in the state of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, hitting a Gurdwara and the homes of Sikhs in Poonch in J&K. Three members of the Sikh community in Poonch were killed in the attacks by the Pakistan Army from across the Line of Control.

“Instead of owning up to these attacks, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Air Force that were targeting cities like Amritsar and trying to put the blame on Pakistan,” Misri said, adding: “This is nothing but a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disown its acts of aggression. But it is also true to type in its effort to deceive and mislead the world. It will not succeed.”