ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday claimed that a Pakistani fisherman was detained by the Indian Coast Guard, coerced by an Indian intelligence agency, and sent back to Pakistan with specific instructions to collect military-related materials for a “propaganda operation” against the country.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhary, Tarar said law enforcement agencies had arrested a fisherman named Ijaz Mallah, who allegedly confessed to being used by Indian handlers after being taken into custody.
According to the minister, Mallah was apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard in September while fishing in Pakistani waters and later “forced to cooperate” under the threat of imprisonment. “He was told to carry out certain tasks for an Indian intelligence agency and was promised financial compensation,” Tarar said.
The minister alleged that the man was instructed to acquire Pakistan Army, Navy, and Sindh Rangers uniforms with specific nametags and fittings. These items, Tarar said, were part of a wider plan to stage disinformation campaigns against Pakistan. Displaying images of the seized uniforms and other materials, he noted that Mallah had also been asked to buy Pakistani currency notes, cigarettes, lighters, matchboxes, and Zong SIM cards before attempting to return to India.
“Our intelligence agencies placed him under close surveillance, and he was intercepted at sea before he could complete his mission,” Tarar stated. “This demonstrates the constant vigilance of Pakistan’s security apparatus.”
Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have exposed India’s plan to use Pakistani fisherman Ejaz Mallah for anti-state activities. Indian agencies tasked him with purchasing security forces’ uniforms and other items. Acting swiftly on his suspicious activities, Pakistani intelligence… pic.twitter.com/NNqlsOTNDs
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) November 1, 2025
He further linked the incident to Indian naval exercises taking place near the Gujarat and Kutch regions, suggesting the operation may have been designed to coincide with those drills. Tarar accused India of resorting to “propaganda warfare” to malign Pakistan, particularly ahead of upcoming Indian state elections.
You May Also Like: Defence Minister Rejects Remarks on Disarming Hamas, Calls Them “Inappropriate”
The ministers also played what they described as audio evidence of Mallah’s conversations with an alleged Indian handler and a video confession in which the fisherman admitted accepting the offer “out of fear and for money.”
Chaudhary added that investigators had uncovered financial transactions amounting to Rs95,000 between Indian officials and the fisherman, urging citizens to remain alert against similar coercion attempts.
Check out our latest video:
