"There are highly regrettable, irresponsible and provocative stories being carried in the Indian media. They are utterly baseless and unfounded," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said while commenting on the Indian media reports accusing ISI of playing a role in the Dhaka café attack in which more than 20 people were killed.
He said that Pakistan strongly rejects such allegations. He also referred to the statement by the Adviser to the Prime Minster of Bangladesh, Prof. Gowher Rizvi, refuting the Indian media story attributed to him regarding Pakistan's involvement, as a proof of the Indian media's malicious intent.
Zakaria said that Rizvi contacted Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh to confirm that he has not issued any statement against Pakistan and that the Indian media reports are false.
According to him, Rizvi advised the Pakistan's High Commissioner to convey this clarification to the government of Pakistan to avoid any misunderstanding between the two countries.
"Pakistan deeply appreciates Prof. Gowher Rizvi's timely rebuttal to the Indian media's reports," he said, adding Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Dhaka and expressed solidarity with the government and the brotherly people of Bangladesh and offered condolences and sympathised with the families of the victims.
The spokesperson further said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. "Being itself one of the biggest victims of terrorism, Pakistan welcomes Prof. Gowher Rizvi's call for international cooperation to fight the menace of terrorism," he added.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan's High Commissioner in Dhaka informed the Foreign Office through a fax message, regarding his conversation with Prof Gowher Rizvi. According to the message, the High Commissioner was informed that India's NDTV is reporting a falsely attributed news item that says, "Gowher Rizvi has blamed Pakistan's ISI for the Café attack that killed 20 civilians and two law enforcement officers".
He said the statement is "utter non-sense" and that he has never issued any statement or spoken to any TV channel on this issue. "His office has officially protested and he wanted me to convey that Bangladesh would need the support of all the countries including Pakistan in its fight against terrorism," the High Commissioner stated, adding Prof Rizvi wanted him to convey this immediately to Islamabad so that there was no misunderstanding on the issue.