India uses terror allegations to defame Pakistan’s ISI
New Delhi: Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has once again sought to malign Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) by alleging that an “ISI-backed” network was involved in planning attacks ahead of India’s Independence Day, in what observers view as part of New Delhi’s continuing propaganda campaign against Pakistan.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Amit Shah claimed that more than 200 people had been arrested in coordinated operations across 14 states and alleged that the so-called Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) had received support from the ISI. Indian media reported that he also claimed that weapons and explosives recovered during the operations bore markings of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory.
However, Indian authorities have not publicly presented independently verifiable evidence establishing institutional involvement of the ISI in the alleged network. Such allegations against the ISI have repeatedly been used by New Delhi to construct a narrative of cross-border terrorism and divert attention from its own security and political challenges.
The latest claims come against the backdrop of India’s military and diplomatic setbacks following its confrontation with Pakistan in May 2025. Since then, Indian authorities and sections of the Indian media have repeatedly invoked alleged Pakistani links to security incidents, reinforcing accusations against the ISI without providing independently verifiable evidence.
Shah claimed that the alleged network was involved in grenade, IED and petrol-bomb attacks as well as targeted killings and espionage. The Indian government statement further claimed that more than 80 FIRs had been registered and over 200 arrests made under various laws.
The allegations should be viewed critically, particularly as the Indian government has a record of attributing violent incidents to Pakistan before investigations and judicial proceedings have established responsibility. The branding of alleged criminal or militant networks as “ISI-backed” also serves a broader political narrative aimed at portraying Pakistan as a permanent source of insecurity.
Observers say New Delhi’s latest assertions appear intended not only to justify intensified security operations, arrests and surveillance but also to revive the familiar ISI-terrorism narrative at a time when India seeks to project an image of heightened security and strength around its Independence Day.
Pakistan has consistently rejected Indian allegations of sponsoring terrorism and has called for credible, verifiable evidence rather than politically motivated accusations. The latest claims by the Indian Home Minister therefore warrant careful scrutiny rather than acceptance as established fact.
