Islamabad (Web Desk): Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced on Saturday that Pakistani fisherman Ejaz Mallah had been taken into custody by the country’s intelligence authorities on charges of spying, after allegedly being detained and coerced by the Indian Coast Guard to operate for Indian intelligence agencies.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Tarar said that India initiated a smear campaign against Pakistan following the failure of its so-called Operation Sindoor.
The information minister said that Pakistani intelligence agencies had been keeping Mallah under watch due to suspicious movements and later apprehended him. he said that this arrest served as solid proof of India’s covert attempts to discredit Pakistan through deceitful means.
“After suffering a humiliating setback in Operation Sindoor, India has turned to covert schemes to harm Pakistan’s image,” Tarar remarked, stressing the need to remain cautious against foreign propaganda.
He added that the case resembled that of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, calling it another malicious effort by New Delhi. Tarar assured that Pakistan’s security institutions were alert and fully capable of countering any plot against the nation.
“The world recognizes India’s deceitful motives and false narratives,” he said, asserting that Pakistan had once again thwarted Indian designs and brought its actions to light internationally.
The minister said the Modi-led government routinely staged such dramas before elections to manipulate public opinion. He noted that India was preparing another similar stunt, but Pakistani authorities managed to catch Ejaz Mallah red-handed through a carefully planned intelligence operation.
According to Tarar, Mallah, who regularly fished in deep waters, was apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard and later repatriated to Pakistan with specific instructions from Indian intelligence handlers. He alleged that Indian agencies coerced Mallah into carrying out espionage activities against Pakistan.
The minister said that Mallah had earlier been kept at an undisclosed site in India before being sent back for intelligence assignments. He added that India had resorted to such acts out of frustration over Pakistan’s diplomatic and national progress following the failure of Operation Sindoor.
Tarar explained that Mallah was placed under close surveillance after he attempted to buy uniforms of the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Rangers. He stated that Mallah confessed to the charges after his arrest.
During the press conference, the information minister also aired Mallah’s recorded confession, in which the suspect said that he and other fishermen were detained by Indian authorities during a fishing trip.
Mallah recounted that he was told to bring Pakistani Army uniforms, Zong SIM cards, cigarettes, receipts, and local currency upon release.
He further revealed that after sending photographs of an Indian intelligence officer, he was detained by Pakistani agencies when he went back to sea.