India asks Pakistan to set its own house in order, instead of blaming others

Arindam Bagchi said it is not new for Pakistan to engage in 'baseless propaganda' against India

India on Thursday asked Pakistan to set its own house in order and deny safe sanctuaries to terrorists in its territory instead of blaming others.

New Delhi dismissed as baseless the recent statements by Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government blaming India’s external spy agency for a recent explosion at Lahore in Pakistan.

“It is not new for Pakistan to engage in baseless propaganda against India,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in New Delhi.

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The explosion near the house of the founder of the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed, on June 23 killed three persons and injured 24 others. Saeed is designated by the United Nations Security Council as a terrorist linked to Taliban and Al-Qaeda. New Delhi believes that he was the mastermind for the November 26-28, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Khan on Sunday alleged that investigation into the June 23 explosion at Johar Town in Lahore revealed that it was planned and financed by India. He called upon the “global community” to “mobilize international institutions” against India’s “rogue behaviour” against Pakistan.

“Pakistan would do well to expend the same effort in setting its own house in order and taking credible and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from its soil and terrorists who have found safe sanctuaries there,” Bagchi said in New Delhi on Thursday. The international community is well aware of Pakistan’s credentials when it comes to terrorism. This is acknowledged by none other than its own leadership, which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama Bin Laden as ‘martyrs’, said the MEA spokesperson.