Pakistan rejects India's denial of involvement in Dasu attack

Pakistan rejected on Saturday India’s denial of being involved in the Dasu bus attack, saying when “fully exposed, India typically resorts to sophistry, obfuscation and re-fabrication.”

The Foreign Office (FO) termed the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denial remarks on the issue as “absurd.”

Last month, nine Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis lost their lives when their bus plunged into a ravine after an explosion near the Dasu hydropower plant in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).

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Initially, Pakistan's foreign ministry blamed a mechanical failure for "leakage of gas that caused a blast". However, as the investigation got underway, Pakistan said terrorism could not be ruled out.

Earlier this week, while revealing details of the investigation, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the Dasu attack’s planning and execution were carried out by Afghanistan and India’s intelligence agencies.

In response on Friday, India's MEA denied its involvement.

“Bland denials and regurgitation of a false narrative, however, will not change facts,” the FO said responding to the Indian MEA's comments. Pakistan has repeatedly presented irrefutable evidence of India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and execution of terrorist activities in Pakistan, the FO statement added.

Terrorism cannot be ruled out in Dasu incident: Fawad Chaudhry

The foreign office statement said that Pakistan presented a detailed dossier to the international community last year with proof of India's involvement in such activities, including in the Lahore attack.

Last month, Pakistan had also rejected India’s denial in the 23 June 2021 terrorist attack in Lahore, saying “there is irrefutable evidence of India’s aiding, abetting and financing of this terrorist incident.”

Bus 'blast' near Dasu project kills at least 13, including 9 Chinese

"The most familiar and undeniable face of India’s state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan is Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav — caught red-handed in March 2016," the FO statement added.

“We reiterate our call on India to abjure the use of state-terrorism as an instrument of policy. "Pakistan will continue to resolutely oppose Indian machinations imperiling regional peace and security,” it said.