Foreign Secretary briefs Heads of Missions on Pak intent behind Nagrota misadventure

New Delhi: India on Monday informed a select group of nations about Pakistan’s “sustained efforts” to destabilise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and to subvert local elections and the process of democracy there.

“Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla briefed a select group of Heads of Missions on the planned terrorist attack in Nagrota district in Jammu which was foiled on 19th November,” a source told this magazine.

“The select Head of Missions and envoys were sensitized about our concerns regarding Pakistan’s sustained efforts to destabilise the situation in J&K and to subvert local elections,” the source said.

India explained the “implications” of the incident on security, diplomacy and the battle against terrorism.

This is the first of several briefings to be conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs in small groups in view of Covid-19 situation. Other Secretaries will also be briefing Heads of Missions in their areas of jurisdiction. “The idea is to share information as widely as possible with the international community”.

Sources revealed that the Heads of Missions were provided with a “detailed information docket” giving the details of the incident as it transpired as well as list of items and munition that were recovered from terrorists “clearly indicating their Pakistani origins”.

The Mission heads were also briefed on how the terrorists got into India which is now clear through the “discovery of an underground tunnel” in the Samba sector.

It was shared with them how preliminary investigations by the police and intelligence authorities, markings on the recovered AK47 rifles and other items lead us to believe that the terrorists belonged to Pakistan based Jaish-e- Mohammad.

It was pointed out how the incident of 19th November is part of Pakistan’s ongoing terror campaign in J&K and that in the year 2020 itself we have seen 200 incidents of terrorist violence and neutralization of 199 terrorists, sources said.

Details of JeM’s involvement in previous such incidents were also shared.

In terms of the bigger picture, it was clear that the terrorists were planning the biggest terror attack in India since Pulwama in February 2019 and the implications can be guessed.

“This is part of ongoing efforts to sabotage the DDC elections and to carry out a terror attack aimed to coincide with the anniversary of 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes,” the source said.

Close on the heels of foiling a major terror attack in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir on Nov 19, Pakistan chargé d’affaires Aftlab Hussain Khan was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi and a strong protest was lodged.

“It was demanded that Pakistan desists from its policy of supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from its territory and dismantle the terror infrastructure…,” an MEA statement said here on Saturday.

A major terror attack by Jaish e Muhammad was foiled by security forces in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir on November 19, 2020.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation last week and condemned the Pakistan designs.

The first phase of 8 phased District Development Council election will be held on November 28.

Even as the elections would bemore about local issues and development, in some quarters it is being seen as a referendum on the Modi Government’s decision to abrogate J&K’s special status and Article 370 last year.