Pakistan hands over dossier, accuses Indian agencies of 'supporting terrorism'. Sources confirmed to TOI that Islamabad handed India a dossier which, it claimed, comprised information about support to terrorist activities in Pakistan by Indian agencies. The dossier was dismissed by Indian officials as a web of lies and propaganda meant to facilitate Pakistan's smear campaign against India

NEW DELHI: With India's diplomatic offensive against Pakistan's Kashmir campaign entering full throttle mode, Islamabad is throwing all that it has got into it. And possibly, what it hasn't too. Multiple sources confirmed to TOI that Islamabad last week handed India a dossier which, it claimed, comprised information about support to terrorist activities in Pakistan by Indian agencies.

The dossier was dismissed by Indian officials as a web of lies and propaganda meant to facilitate Pakistan's smear campaign against India. While it's not clear yet what was the immediate provocation for the dossier, according to Indian authorities, there could be several reasons, including an effort by Pakistan to hedge against a terror attack in India by drawing a false equivalence.

It is perhaps meant also to blunt India's concerns, expressed repeatedly before Pakistan, that the latter may use the Kartarpur Corridor to fan pro-Khalistan sentiments.

One reason why the Kartarpur meeting could not finalise all details last week was Pakistan's refusal to allow Indian consular officials to accompany pilgrims.

The dossier was handed over to India during the Kartarpur Corridor meeting on September 4, where India again flagged its concerns about the activities of secessionist elements.

Another likely reason is to target India this month on international fora, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly, where the Kashmir issue is expected to be raised by Pakistan.

With Pakistan likely to seek a resolution at the 47-member UNHRC on Indian "atrocities'' in the Valley, foreign minister S Jaishankar has reached out to many member states to garner support for India.

This could mean Pakistan using the dossier, as a source put it, to shield itself from negative fallout of a possible terror attack in J&K, or anywhere else in the country, by forces based in Pakistan. Indian authorities see it in relation to Islamabad's repeated assertions that India is likely to carry out a false flag operation and blame it on Pakistan.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan had alleged in a tweet on August 23 that India will "in all probability attempt a false flag operation to divert attention from its massive human rights violations and the unleashing of a reign of terror in Kashmir".

"Pakistan knows any terror attack in India facilitated by elements there will almost certainly lead to its blacklisting by FATF. They are looking for ways to deflect attention,'' said a source. Pakistan, he added, could also use it to secure its case against Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav who was awarded death sentence by a military court.

NSA Ajit Doval had accused Pakistan on Saturday of having gathered 230 terrorists, as per information available with India, at different points along the LoC. Some of these, he had said, had already sneaked in and had been instructed to carry out attacks.