Pakistan denies role in drone attacks, slams ‘baseless propaganda’

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday rejected Indian media reports alleging that it had launched drone and missile attacks on multiple locations in India, calling the claims “entirely unfounded” and part of a “reckless propaganda campaign”. 

In a statement issued just after midnight, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said such actions only serve to further endanger regional peace.

Meanwhile, ongoing shelling by Pakistani troops in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir resulted in the death of a woman and left two of her family members injured.

Indian officials said on Thursday night that the military had successfully neutralised an attempt by Pakistan to strike military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and other locations using drones and missiles. “Around midnight, military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were targeted by drones and missiles of Pakistani origin along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said. Military sources added that missiles were also directed at Jammu’s Satwari, Samba, RS Pura, and Arnia areas, but were intercepted by Indian air defence systems.

Responding to these developments, the Pakistani Foreign Office said, “The government of Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless and irresponsible allegations propagated by the Indian media, accusing Pakistan of launching attacks on Pathankot, Jaisalmer and Srinagar.”

“These claims are entirely unfounded, politically motivated and part of a reckless propaganda campaign aimed at maligning Pakistan,” the statement read, adding that the allegations were rejected “in the strongest possible terms”.

The Foreign Office accused India of a repeated pattern of levelling unverified accusations against Pakistan without credible investigation, calling it a deliberate strategy to manufacture a pretext for aggression and destabilise the region.

“Such actions not only endanger regional peace but also reflect a disturbing willingness to exploit misinformation for political and military purposes,” it said. Pakistan urged the international community to take serious note of what it described as “dangerous behaviour” and to advise India to exercise restraint and responsibility.

“Any escalation based on false pretences will be met with full resolve and determination to safeguard Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said. While reaffirming its commitment to regional peace, Pakistan added that it would not be deterred by efforts to provoke, intimidate or mislead and reserved the right to respond to any acts of aggression.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated sharply since the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly civilians. In response to the massacre, Indian armed forces launched missile strikes early Wednesday on terror targets in Pakistan, including in Bahawalpur, a known stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group.