ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan on Sunday said the latest revelations made by Satya Pal Malik, the former governor of India-held Kashmir, have vindicated its stance on the 2019 Pulwama attack.

“His disclosures demonstrate how the Indian leadership has habitually used the bogey of terrorism from Pakistan to advance its sham victimhood narrative and the Hindutva agenda, clearly for domestic political gains,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The FO hoped that the international community would take cognisance of the latest revelations and see through India’s propaganda campaign against Pakistan, driven by selfish political considerations and based on lies and deceit.

It said India must answer the questions raised in the latest revelations. It is time India be held accountable for the actions that imperiled regional peace in the aftermath of Pulwama attack.

“Pakistan, for its part, will continue to counter India’s false narrative, and act firmly and responsibly in the face of different provocations,” the FO said.

Ex-governor Malik, in a recent interview that went viral on social media, had disclosed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him after the Pulwama attack to stay silent over some alleged lapses he flagged.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, too, had told him to keep quiet, the former governor said. “I can share with you that I had sensed the entire onus was being put on Pakistan so I have to keep quiet,” he said.

Mr Malik, who was transferred out of held Kashmir in October 2019, claimed the Indian home ministry had refused to provide five aircraft requisitioned by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to ferry their personnel. “CRPF (had) asked for aircraft to ferry their people because such a large convoy generally doesn’t travel by road,” he said, adding the request was made to the home ministry but “they refused” with the result that they became the target of a deadly terrorist ambush.

This is not the first time the former governor had pointed out security lapses. Just a day after the Pulwama attack, Mr Malik in an interview had said the attack was partly the result of an intelligence failure.

Parties demand action

India’s opposition parties, in a rare show of unity, targeted PM Modi over the allegations.

Mr Malik said in his interview with Karan Thapar of The Wire, that he told Mr Modi the terrorist strike happened because the Centre did not provide aircraft to transport CRPF paramilitary troops from Jammu to Srinagar. A car loaded with explosives was roaming freely for days in the region and it wasn’t tracked, he alleged.

The ex-governor said that the Pulwama attack was used for political benefit.

He also claimed that his appointment with President Droupadi Murmu was cancelled at the last minute when he was governor. It is the PM Office (PMO) that decides the appointments’ list for Rashtrapati Bhavan, he alleged.

Mr Malik said the prime minister was “not particularly averse to corruption” as he did not take action against the Goa government when he pointed it out to him rather was transferred to Meghalaya. On the Adani issue, the ex-governor said, “people have started believing that PM Modi is interested in the financial dealings of the Adani Group” and the government has not been able to answer Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s questions.

Congress seeks answers

The Congress also demanded answers from the Centre on the outcome of the probe into the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The Modi government was asked to “come clean” on the revelations made by Mr Malik as he was not only a constitutional functionary but also a BJP leader, who had joined the party before the 2014 elections.

Addressing a joint press conference along with party leaders Pawan Khera and Supriya Shrinate, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP-led Union government of adopting a strategy of “silence” on every key issue. “This government believes in the principle of minimum governance and maximum silence… It is the government’s responsibility to answer questions raised by the opposition,” Mr Ramesh said. “He [Mr Malik] must have been a trusted person of the PM that was why he was the governor of J&K at a sensitive time when Article 370 was being removed. His comments cannot be ignored,” added Mr Khera.

“After a period of over four years, where has the inquiry in the Pulwama terror attack reached? Where, when, how and who will fix the accountability for NSA Shri Ajit Doval and then Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh,” asked Ms Shrinate.

Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja tweeted that the allegations are serious and, “... if true, are a damning indictment of the state of national security, corruption & federalism under Modi. These extremely critical allegations coming from the horse’s mouth must be probed independently and fairly”.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, who has been summoned for questioning by the CBI over alleged irregularities in the Delhi liquor policy, cited Mr Malik’s interview to target the BJP over corruption. “Satya Pal Malik ji has said that Modi ji is not averse to corruption. I am not saying this but one of their own... In the same interview, he also said some BJP chief ministers indulge in corruption and collect money. They don’t keep all the money to themselves but send the money to above and from there, it is invested in the companies of their friend,” said Mr Kejriwal.

Stating that the BJP uses central agencies to serve its interests, the official handle of the Trinamool Congress tweeted, “Now, we learn that even the President’s official appointments are fixed as per PM @narendramodi’s will & whim! India’s Democracy is endangered!”

Dawn’s correspondent in New Delhi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2023