May 22, Kathmandu- India has categorically denied any involvement in the recent school bus explosion in Khuzdar, Balochistan province of Pakistan. The Pakistani government had accused India of being behind the blast that occurred on Wednesday, which resulted in multiple casualties.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong statement dismissing the allegations, asserting that Pakistan continues to be the global epicenter of terrorism. The MEA emphasized that Islamabad’s attempts to shift blame are part of a pattern aimed at misleading the international community and diverting attention from its own internal issues.

“India rejects Pakistan’s baseless allegation of India’s involvement in the Khuzdar incident,” the MEA statement read. It further accused Pakistan of routinely blaming India to cover up its internal problems, describing such claims as an attempt to conceal Pakistan’s "bad image as a global hub of terrorism" and its internal weaknesses.

The Indian government also expressed condolences for those killed in the attack. “India condemns the terrorist attack in Khuzdar and extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” the MEA added.

The blast targeted a school bus carrying children to an army-run school, killing five people, including three children, and injuring 38 others, according to Pakistani authorities.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif described the attack as a terrorist act and accused militants working under Indian protection of orchestrating the assault. He called the incident “clear evidence of the hostility of terrorists supported by India.”

The attack has heightened tensions between the two neighbors amid ongoing accusations and counter-accusations over terrorism and security issues in the region.