ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has launched a campaign to counter India’s global anti-Pakistan propaganda, officials said.

Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had issued directives to launch a diplomatic offensive as India was “crossing limits”. “We will raise the human rights issue in held Kashmir and India’s interference in Pakistan’s internal matters at every forum to expose it,” said an official. “India is supporting Baloch rebel groups and sponsoring hate slogans across the world. We will now show their (India’s) real face to the world.”

Last week, Pakistan had summoned British High Commissioner Thomas Drew and lodged a strong protest over the hate slogans against Pakistan in London. The statement said that Pakistan was aware of the intentions of “such sinister and malicious campaigns, which should not be allowed on the soil of a friendly country.”

In September, Pakistan summoned the Swiss ambassador over the public display of anti-Pakistan posters by a group in Geneva. The foreign ministry had protested against the Swiss government statement and said the posters were being used for propaganda by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

Another official at the foreign ministry said Pakistan has told the US and the European countries that India was supporting the BLA and other such outfits to destabilise Pakistan. “Everyone knows that we only provide diplomatic support the Kashmiris. Their protests across the world are organised by them. India is trying to take revenge by supporting some anti-Pakistan individuals,” he said.

The official said that as part of the ‘counter-India campaign’, the Kashmir issue and India’s role in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan will be highlighted at every forum. “We will discuss these issues in every single bilateral meeting with any country. We will also raise these issues at the multilateral forms,” he said.

Defence analyst Lt-Gen (retd) Ghulam Mustafa said India was definitely behind the BLA campaign in London. “This is an anti-Pakistan propaganda and we will have to respond well. India is funding anti-Pakistan elements,” he said.

He said Pakistan should not tolerate any action which was against the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

Defence analyst Brig (retd) Said Nazir said India had crossed all limits in its campaigns against Pakistan. “They are trying to prove us as evil while in reality, they are the ones who are killing people in Kashmir and denying freedom to minorities in India,” he said. He said that the Indian lobby was very active in the United Kingdom and funding the BLA elements to raise anti-Pakistan slogans.