Pak boasts about its role in Pulwama attack; BJP takes dig at Rahul Gandhi

Pakistan on Thursday admitted and boasted about its role in the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing in Kashmir in which 40 Indian paramilitary troopers were killed by the globally banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.

In his address to the National Assembly, Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the Pulwama terror attack an "accomplishment" under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In reaction to the video clip of Fawad Chaudhry's admission, BJP President J.P. Nadda took a dig at both Islamabad and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

Nadda tweeted, "Congress' princeling does not believe anything Indian, be it our Army, our Government, our Citizens. So, here is something from his 'Most Trusted Nation', Pakistan. Hopefully now he sees some light."

Last year, Rahul Gandhi had insinuated that the Pulwama terror attack was a stage-managed attack perpetrated by the BJP government.

Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday, "We attacked India after infiltrating in its own territory and the success in Pulwama was a success under the leadership of Imran Khan. It was a success of our community and the opposition is also a partner in this success."

The minister was responding to Pakistan parliamentarian Ayaz Sadiq who claimed that the Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa was extremely nervous in anticipation that India would launch a war after Pakistan captured Indian Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman last year.

Varthaman's fighter jet had been downed while pursuing a Pakistani fighter jet during a dogfight, a day after India launched an airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack in February last year.

In a speech in the National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq had said, "Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had in an important meeting pointed out that if Pakistan did not release Wing Commander Varthaman, India would have attacked Pakistan that night by 9 pm."

"I remember Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in the meeting which Imran Khan had refused to attend and the Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa came into the room, his legs were shaking and he was perspiring. The Foreign Minister said for god's sake let Abhinandan go, India's about to attack Pakistan at 9 pm," Sadiq told the Assembly.

However, Fawad Chaudhry dismissed Sadiq's statement as lies and bragged that the Pulwama terror attack by Jaish was Pakistan's collective achievement.

--IANS

aat/arm