India behind at least 4 high-profile terrorist attacks in Pakistan: Mooed

National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mooed Yusuf has revealed that the Army Public School massacre mastermind was in contact with Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) while the attack was ongoing. In an interview to veteran Indian journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire, Yusuf said that Pakistan has proof of India's ties to terrorism.

This was the first interview by any Pakistani government official to Indian media after India's illegal attempt to annex occupied Kashmir by revoking Article 370 of the Indian constitution. Blaming India for conducting terrorist attacks in Pakistan, Yusuf said that New Delhi had used a consulate "in a neighbouring country" to launch attacks on a five-star hotel in Gwadar, the Chinese consulate in Karachi and the Pakistan Stock Exchange. He further said that India recently spent $1 million to merge the Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) and four other terrorist organisations in Afghanistan under the supervision of RAW officials. Yusuf said that Aslam alias Achu, a militant involved in the attack on the Chinese consulate, had undergone treatment at a hospital in New Delhi, which was proof of India's involvement in the matter.

He told Thapar that the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan was using think-tanks as a front to funnel money to terrorists in Balochistan. The national security adviser also said that Pakistan had evidence that the mastermind of the APS massacre was in contact with an Indian consulate and that he had the phone number of the handler as well.

"We have evidence to the T," he was quoted as saying by The Wire. During the interview, the national security adviser said that Pakistan had "received a message for a desire for conversation." According to The Wire, he refused to divulge more details regarding the matter but said that Kashmiris must be a third party in any dialogue between India and Pakistan concerning the issue.

Yusuf also said that Pakistan was willing to discuss terrorism but stressed on diplomacy between the two sides. "We must sit down like adults," he was quoted as saying. He said that Pakistan stands for peace and the country wants to move forward.

-APP