A Pakistani politician has publicly claimed Islamabad’s involvement in the November 10 Red Fort blast, saying terror groups carried out the attack as retaliation for India's alleged actions in Balochistan.
In a video that has now gone viral, Anwarul Haq, former “Prime Minister” of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, claims that that terror groups linked to Pakistan carried out attacks “from the Red Fort to the forests of Kashmir”.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine war to end soon? Trump 'quietly' approves peace plan, says report
He was referring to the two terror incidents in India this year - Pahalgam in April and a suicide bombing near Delhi's Red Fort last week.
Pak leader's big admission
“I earlier said that if you keep bleeding Balochistan, we'll hit India from Red Fort to the forests of Kashmir. By the grace of Allah, we've done it and they're still unable to count bodies,” Anwarul Haq is heard saying in the during a speech in the PoK Assembly.
Also read: 'Truth will be revealed': Donald Trump signs bill to release Epstein files
{{/usCountry}}Also read: 'Truth will be revealed': Donald Trump signs bill to release Epstein files
{{/usCountry}}“Few days later, armed men entered and attacked (Delhi) and they haven't probably counted all the bodies so far," he said referring to the Red Fort blast, which the investigators say, was a part of a larger “white-collar terror module” linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), an extremist group based in Pakistan and founded by Masood Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist.
Pakistan's accusations of India's role in Balochistan
Pakistan has long accused India of fuelling unrest in Balochistan, a charge New Delhi dismisses as an attempt to deflect from Islamabad’s own support for cross-border terrorism. India has consistently denied any involvement in violence in the province.
Pak defence minister's warning
Anwarul Haq's statement comes amid Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif's warning that Islamabad cannot ignore the possibility of an "all-out war" with India and that the country needs to be on "full alert". He said India cannot be trusted, adding that the country has been put on maximum alert for "any border incursion".
“We cannot ignore (India) in any way... We are not ignoring India, and our preparation and alert are at maximum. We cannot trust India in any way. We cannot rule out (attack) as India can directly intervene. It can continue attacks from there (presumably Afghanistan) and it can go for an all-out war as per its strategy," Khawaja Asif told Samaa TV.
Red Fort blast
A deadly explosion rocked India's capital city Delhi on November 10 which the investigators later found to be a suicide attack linked to the “white collar terror module”. Ten people lost their lives and several others were injured after an explosives-laden car went off near Red Fort. Police investigation and forensic probe revealed that the car was driven by a Kashmir-origin doctor, Umar Un Nabi, whose severed leg was found stuck between the car's accelerator and steering.
Also read: Red Fort blast: Despite probe into Al Falah University, students sign up for seats to study medicine
He worked as an assistant professor at Al Falah University in Faridabad. The Delhi Police later said he was linked to Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie and Dr Adeel Rather, who were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir last week and were accused of storing over 2,900 kgs of ammonium nitrate, detonators, timers, and assault rifles in Faridabad.