Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 30: As the Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave details in Parliament of the “Operation Mahadev” of the security forces to neutralise three terrorists of Pakistani nationality involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack killing 26 Hindu tourists, Pakistan foreign ministry called the statement “replete with fabrications.”
Mr Shah told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and repeated it in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the three militants killed in an encounter in Dachigam forests near Srinagar were those who had carried out the terror attack in Pahalgam and that India has found evidences to establish that all the three were Pakistani nationals.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless assertions and provocative claims made by the Indian leaders during the Lok Sabha debate on the so-called “Operation Sindoor.” These statements reflect a dangerous tendency to distort facts, justify aggression, and glorify conflict for domestic consumption,” Spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
“The account given by the Indian Home Minister is replete with fabrications, leading to serious questions about its credibility,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The world knows that India attacked Pakistan without any verifiable evidence or a credible investigation into the Pahalgam Attack. During the intervening night of 6 and 7 May 2025, India’s targeting of the alleged terrorist infrastructure resulted actually in the martyrdom of innocent men, women, and children. India failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives. On the other hand, Pakistan’s resounding success in neutralising the Indian fighter jets and military targets is an indisputable fact,” the Spokesperson said.
“Instead of misleading their compatriots, the Indian leaders would be well-advised to acknowledge the losses incurred by their armed forces and accept the active role played by the third parties in realising the ceasefire,” the statement said again giving credence to the United States president Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered peace between the two countries which the prime minister Narendra Modi vociferously denied.
The Pakistani foreign ministry statement said, “India did not avail itself of the immediate offer made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a transparent and independent probe into the Pahalgam Attack. Instead, it chose the path of belligerence and aggression. It acted as judge, jury and executioner at the same time.
“Against this backdrop, any claims regarding the so-called “Operation Mahadev” do not hold any significance for us. The account given by the Indian Home Minister is replete with fabrications, leading to serious questions about its credibility. Is it a mere coincidence that the alleged perpetrators of the Pahalgam Attack were killed at the start of the Lok Sabha debate?” the Spokesperson asked.
“We also reiterate our unequivocal rejection of the ceaseless Indian statements on establishing a “new normal” in bilateral relations. As we have already shown through our resolute actions in May 2025, we shall forcefully counter any future aggression. For us, the only “normal” in bilateral relations is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and adherence to the principles and purposes of the U.N. Charter,” the statement said.
“The Indian narrative of an alleged “nuclear blackmail” by Pakistan is a misleading and self-serving construct, and an attempt to veil its own escalatory impulses while shifting blame onto Pakistan. It is well known that Pakistan deterred India through its conventional capabilities, affirming that discipline and restraint remain its guiding principles,” the statement added.
“We also wish to register our disapproval of the Indian leaders’ misplaced assertions regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. India’s decision to hold the Treaty in abeyance shows its blatant disregard for the sanctity of international treaties, and strikes at a fundamental pillar of regional cooperation. Instead of taking pride in a unilateral and illegal move, India must immediately fulfil its Treaty obligations,” the spokesperson said.
“India’s continued reliance on disinformation, jingoism, and chest-thumping risks destabilising South Asia. However, as a responsible country, Pakistan remains committed to peace, regional stability, and a meaningful dialogue for resolution of all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement said.
Only last week, Pakistan had claimed that it had “dismantled” the terrorist network and any effort to link the Pahalgam terror attackers with the defunct Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was against the reality. The Foreign Office had made the statement a day after the US designated The Resistant Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT, as a “foreign terrorist organisation” and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for its involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
“Pakistan has effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalised its cadres,” the statement had claimed. Stating that the investigation into the Pahalgam attack was “still inconclusive,” it said, “any linkage with LeT, a defunct organisation banned in Pakistan, belies ground realities.” The statement had also repeated that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations, has zero tolerance against terrorism, and it is the cornerstone of its policy to cooperate internationally against terrorism. The TRF had initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack but later backtracked apparently under pressure from the Pakistani government.
During the debate in Parliament on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Mr Shah had said, “Operation Mahadev was not named only because of religion. The Congress party doesn’t know anything. It is also a war slogan used by Shivaji: ‘Har Har Mahadev’. He fought for freedom against the Mughals. This is a symbol against every attack on India’s supremacy. India has given a fitting reply to them.” He further said, “I proudly declare to the world, Hindus can never be terrorists. Terrorism is on the verge of elimination, it will be finished.”
“After the BJP came to power, many terror outfits have been banned in India. What did Congress do?” he asked. “They let many terrorists go because they were not able to do anything,” he said. He also accused the Congress of giving away Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Pakistan and vowed that the BJP government would get it back. “You conceded a portion of Kashmir to Pakistan, but rest assured, we are committed to reclaiming PoK,” Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha. He also promised that Jammu and Kashmir would be free from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
The minister dared terrorists to try as much as they can, adding that Pakistan fell to its knees and begged India to stop. “We targeted the heart of terrorism and terrorists. Surgical strikes and air strikes were on PoK- we targeted our very own land, according to people like me. But for the first time, we went inside Pakistan and reduced terror infrastructure to dust,” he added.
He also said India could have taken PoK back after the 1971 conflict, when India had 93,000 Pakistani soldiers in captivity. “Congress is responsible for the formation of PoK… Rahul Gandhi should not worry about PoK, the BJP will take it back,” he added.
Mr Shah said Pakistan was not afraid of India during the UPA regime as they kept sending dossiers to them, but it was the Modi government which gave them a befitting reply. He said Congress would have given a clean chit to Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack and stressed that the party had no right to ask questions from the BJP on terrorism.
The Home Minister said India exercised its right to self-defence under the UN Charter, adding that the country had to right to dismantle terror infrastructure and stopped after Pakistan asked for a ceasefire. “Congress has ruled the country for the longest time. We got terrorism, Naxalism and North east insurgency on which they did nothing,” he said.