Pakistan reveals Indian plot to use detained fisherman for espionage

Pakistan on Saturday revealed what it described as concrete evidence of an Indian intelligence plot to use a detained Pakistani fisherman for espionage activities, following the failure of New Delhi’s “Operation Sindoor” in May this year.

At a press conference in Islamabad, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that after suffering what he described as a “humiliating defeat” in Operation Sindoor, India had shifted to “deceitful tactics” aimed at maligning Pakistan internationally.

Tarar said that Indian authorities arrested a Pakistani fisherman, identified as Ejaz Mallah, during routine fishing activity near the maritime border and later attempted to use him as a pawn in an intelligence operation.

According to the minister, Mallah was first detained by the Indian Coast Guard and then handed over to intelligence officials, who allegedly pressured him to undertake anti-Pakistan tasks.

He was reportedly instructed to acquire security uniforms resembling those of Pakistan’s Army, Navy, and Rangers, along with local SIM cards, currency notes, and receipts.

Tarar said Pakistani intelligence agencies grew suspicious of Mallah’s movements and placed him under surveillance before arresting him. “Law enforcement agencies successfully apprehended him, exposing yet another Indian plot,” he stated.

Calling the incident “further proof” of India’s ongoing hybrid operations, Tarar compared the case to the earlier arrest of Indian operative Kulbhushan Jadhav. “This was India’s second attempt to undermine Pakistan’s image and it, too, has been foiled by our security forces,” he added.

The minister also accused India’s mainstream media of orchestrating “propaganda narratives” to tarnish Pakistan’s reputation globally. “However, the international community now understands the nature of these falsehoods,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s security institutions remain “fully alert and ready to counter any future conspiracies.”

During the briefing, authorities also played a recorded statement by Ejaz Mallah, in which he claimed Indian forces detained him while he was fishing and ordered him to bring back Pakistani military uniforms, SIM cards, and currency. Mallah said he complied under pressure and sent photos to Indian officials before being arrested by Pakistani agencies upon his return.

Concluding the briefing, Tarar said the incident exposed what he called India’s “double-faced policy and malicious ambitions” toward Pakistan. He praised the country’s security and intelligence agencies for their “timely and effective action,” describing it as a “significant success for Pakistan’s national security.”