New Delhi: Pakistan on Tuesday released a video which purportedly showed a confession by an alleged Indian spy, but it was immediately rubbished by New Delhi.
The External Affairs Ministry said the claim had "no basis in fact" and that there were clear indications of "tutoring."
"Government categorically rejects allegations that this individual was involved in subversive activities in Pakistan at our behest. Our enquiries reveal that he apparently was being harassed while operating a legitimate business from Iran," an MEA statement said.
Official sources said no consular access was given to India as is mandatory under the Vienna convention and that this was Islamabad's "propagandist ploy" to divert attention from home-grown terror.
The claim was made in a press conference addressed by Pakistani military spokesperson Lt General Asim Bajwa and information minister Pervez Rashid in which the video was also played.
According to Pakistani media, the man, identified by Islamabad as former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Yadav, allegedly made statements on New Delhi backing rebels in Balochistan and inciting violence in Karachi.
"His goal was to disrupt development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with Gwadar port as a special target," the Dawn quoted Bajwa as saying.
Yadav had been arrested recently in Pakistan, which described him as an officer of the Indian Navy, a claim debunked by the Indian government which said he had no link
with the Government since his premature retirement from the Navy.
Bajwa however claimed that Yadav was still a serving officer due to retire in 2022, that he had established a small business in Chabahar in Iran.
Bajwa also accused India of carrying out "state-sponsored terrorism" in Pakistan. There cannot be a clearer "evidence of Indian interference in Pakistan", he claimed.
( With inputs by PTI)
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