Pakistan's Kolkata Threat Under Scanner; Agencies Suspect Election Terror Plot

A false flag operation is a covert action designed to look as though it was carried out by another party, often used to justify retaliation or manipulate public opinion.

Experts say that Asif's statements are clearly aimed at taking a defensive posture, while trying to project India as the aggressor.

A top-ranking official said that India's position when it comes to Pakistan is very clear. If Islamabad indulges in any misadventure, then India would hit back like it did during Operation Sindoor, the official said.

"The doctrine is clear that any cross-border terror attack by Pakistan would be viewed as an act of war. We have repeatedly told Pakistan that India will talk once they shut down their terror facilities," the official also added.

Another official said that Asif's statement relating to Kolkata must also be viewed in the context of the ongoing election process in West Bengal. He is attempting to incite terror groups such as the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to carry out an attack so that the election process could be disrupted.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that there are plenty of intercepts suggesting that groups such as the JMB and HuJI are attempting terror strikes both in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam.

Asif has assumed that India is planning a false flag operation and suggested that Kolkata would be attacked in retaliation, the official said.

Pakistan is also frustrated with the fact that ties between India and Bangladesh have been reset. Both nations are working closely on strengthening cooperation both on the economic and security front.

Pakistan has been trying to incite the terror groups operating in Bangladesh to carry out strikes in West Bengal and the Northeastern states. Such an attack could potentially strain ties and this is what Islamabad hopes for.

Another official said that the cooperation between India and Bangladesh has improved remarkably. Both sides are working closely on stopping illegal infiltrations and also rein in those terror groups that pose a threat to the region, the official added.

A senior official added that Asif's statements make it clear that Pakistan is planning something big in India. A direct reference to Kolkata clearly signals that. "He is just running a fake narrative about an Indian aggression to justify an attack in Kolkata," the official added.

Further, Islamabad is also trying to build a global narrative against India. It wants to portray New Delhi as the aggressor, so that it can justify an attack.

The Pakistani establishment has been under tremendous pressure from its terror groups to help carry out an attack in India. Operation Sindoor decimated a lot of terror infrastructure in Pakistan. The rebuilding of these terror groups has been harder than what they may have imagined. A big strike in India is something that the ISI is looking for so that it could act as a morale booster for these terror groups, officials say.

Pakistan is facing a severe crisis within as it continues to battle against the Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). To battle these forces, it has been seeking help of outfits such as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

However, this is not enough for the youth in Pakistan to join the terror ranks. A major recruitment strategy has always been an attack on India. This is why such desperate statements are being made, an official added.

- IANS