Pakistan minister makes fresh allegations against India

Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday alleged that India was providing funds to militant outfits inside his country. He, however, provided no evidence to support his claims.

Naqvi made the claims a day after India categorically rejected Pakistan's allegations of an Indian link to a suicide blast at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday that killed at least 36 people and injured more than 160 others.

"It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday, describing the attack as "condemnable".

"India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless," it added.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without providing any evidence, on Friday alleged that India and Afghanistan were linked to the attack.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Naqvi said the names of Daesh (ISIS) and Taliban are coming up, but they are getting funds and targets from someone and then pointed fingers towards India.

“I say again with clarity that all of their funding comes from India,” the minister alleged, without presenting any evidence to back his claims.

Naqvi said that “nothing happens for free”.

“They (militants) were getting USD 500, but now they’re getting USD 1,500. Someone’s increasing their budget,” he said, again with no proof for his claims.

Islamic State in Pakistan, a regional affiliate of Daesh, on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shia mosque in Islamabad. Four suspects, including a mastermind of the attack, were arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Naqvi said that the mastermind, who is an Afghan, was also caught.

“The main mastermind is linked to Daesh and is in our custody,” he said, adding that the planning and training for the attack was done by “Daesh Afghanistan.” Naqvi said that more than 21 terrorist groups were active in Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan would continue fighting this war, but the world needs to realise that this is becoming a regional threat.