New Delhi: India on Saturday strongly dismissed what it termed as “ludicrous and frivolous” allegations made by Pakistan regarding Indian military actions, with foreign secretary Vikram Misri unequivocally rejecting Islamabad’s claims of Indian missile strikes on religious sites and infrastructure, both within Pakistan and in Afghanistan.
In a press briefing in New Delhi, flanked by senior officials from the Indian Army and Air Force, Misri described Pakistan’s accusations as “a tissue of lies” and part of a “sustained misinformation campaign” aimed at sowing discord and misleading the international community.
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Lame attempts to divide India
“The lame attempts to divide India are doomed to failure,” Mr Misri said, rebutting Pakistani assertions that Indian forces had fired missiles towards a gurdwara in Amritsar or targeted locations inside Afghanistan. “It is frankly a deranged fantasy that only the Pakistani state can conjure up,” he remarked, calling such charges “totally frivolous”.
The briefing came in the wake of heightened tensions following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. Citing credible intelligence pointing to cross-border links, India launched Operation Sindoor earlier this week, targeting terror infrastructure across the Line of Control in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Pakistan.
‘Measured, proportionate, and precise response’
Foreign secretary Misri stressed that India’s military response was “measured, proportionate, and precise”, countering what he called Pakistan’s “provocative” cross-border strikes, including shelling in Rajouri that resulted in the death of an Indian official.
Addressing the widespread misinformation, Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi confirmed that Pakistani drones, missiles, and loitering munitions had targeted 26 locations, including airbases in Udhampur, Pathankot, Bathinda, Bhuj, and Adampur. Despite some physical damage and injuries, she said, Indian forces effectively intercepted many threats and maintained operational readiness across critical installations.
Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh dismissed Pakistani claims that India’s S-400 missile system or major airbases had been neutralised. “We unequivocally reject these falsehoods. Our defence systems remain functional and resilient,” she asserted.
Pak orchestrated attacks on religious sites
Foreign Secretary Misri further accused Pakistan of orchestrating attacks on religious sites — including gurdwaras, temples, and convents — and then falsely attributing them to Indian forces. “This is a new low, even for Pakistan,” he said, underlining Islamabad’s “evil design” to stoke communal tensions within India.
Responding to Pakistan’s narrative that public criticism in India signalled internal instability, Mr Misri said, “It may be a surprise to Pakistan to see citizens criticise their own government. That is the hallmark of any open and functioning democracy. Pakistan’s unfamiliarity with that should not be surprising.”