New Delhi, Mar 26: Former Research and Analysis Wing chief AK Verma on Friday rubbished Pakistan's claim that they have arrested an Indian intelligence operative from Quetta, saying that Islamabad is fabricating a tale to back its allegations of India brewing unrest in Balochistan.
Verma said that Pakistan does not have enough evidence to substantiate its claim that the arrested individual was apprehended from Balochistan.
"The fact remains that he was previously working with the Indian Navy and he took premature retirement the question is why was he found in Balochistan it's not very clear. It was not even clear whether he was found in Balochistan," he said.
"He could have been kidnapped anywhere on the borders or even in the neighbourhood and brought to Balochistan to create a story that an agent of India has been arrested in Balochistan because Pakistan needs some evidence to support what it has been alleging since the number of years that India has been active in Balochistan to conspire against Pakistan," he added.
Dubbing the entire episode as fictitious, Verma said that there is a code of conduct which intelligence community follows, that a lone agent does not work on foreign soil in the said manner.
"Another point to remember is a lone agent does not work like this in a foreign country creating subversion or mischief. He needs local support, he got to have local friends, nothing of the kind it has been indicated so far as this person is concerned, it appears that he was caught alone single handed. All this makes it a very highly and likely story of him being an agent," he said.
Pakistan security forces earlier arrested a man during a raid in Balochistan province who, according to them, is 'a serving officer in the Indian Navy and deputed to RAW.
Expert on Pakistan affairs and author, Tarek Fatah, also said that the arrest of a former Indian Navy officer, whom the Pakistani agencies are claiming to be a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) operative, from Quetta is an attempt by Islamabad to divert the attention from 'genocide' being committed by them in Balochistan.
"They are committing genocide in Balochistan, and to distract from that they are saying that they have arrested a former Indian naval officer from Quetta. Even if you arrest a navy officer then you would nab him in Gwadar, how will they find him in Quetta," Fatah said.
He further questioned India's silence over the 'genocide' being committed by Pakistan in Balochistan.
"Pakistan is fooling India and India loves being fooled. They enter your country and kill your people and you trade onions and tomatoes with them. No self respecting nation would keep a relationship with country that attacks you," he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier yesterday said that Indian Government has no link with the arrested individual, adding that New Delhi has no interest in interfering in internal matters of any country.
MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the matter was raised yesterday by Pakistan's Foreign Secretary with the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.
"The said individual has no link with Government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy," Swarup said.
A Pakistan security official earlier told Dawn that the arrested individual had been shifted to Islamabad for interrogation, as he was suspected of involvement in various acts of terrorism and other dissident activities in Balochistan.
Confirming the arrest, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said, "the arrest has proved Indian involvement in Balochistan".
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