Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar Advocate said on Saturday that a fisherman from Pakistan was arrested by the Indian coast guard and was coerced into carrying out tasks for the neighbouring country's intelligence agency.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Interior Senator Muhammad Tallal Chaudhry, he said that the Indian media was creating a false narrative in the aftermath of the four-day May conflict with Pakistan.

Attaullah Tarar said that law enforcement agencies had recently apprehended a fisherman called, who used to go fishing in the high seas.

'In September this year, when he was out fishing, he was arrested by the Indian coast guard and after this arrest, he was taken to an undisclosed location and he was coerced and forced to some tasks for the Indian intelligence agency,' he said.

'He was told that he would be compensated and if he did not comply, he would have to stay imprisoned for two to three years,' the minister said.

'So this common fisherman was eventually released by the Indian intelligence agency and was sent to Pakistan on a task to procure certain things . which included uniforms of the Pakistan Navy, the Pakistan Army and of Sindh Rangers,' he added.

'He was tasked to procure uniforms with certain nametags, and certain fittings and measurements because this was part of a bigger plan of the Indian intelligence agency to launch a propaganda warfare against Pakistan,' Attaullah Tarar said, showing pictures of items allegedly recovered from the fisherman on a screen off to the side.

The minister said that Pakistan's intelligence agencies were well-equipped to deal with any situation, and put the fisherman in question under surveillance when he tried to procure the items.

'While he was under surveillance, our law enforcement agencies were fully alert and following his trail. He was also asked to get Pakistani currency, cigarettes, match boxes, lighters and was asked to specifically procure Zong sim cards,' he said.

'He procured all these items and he was on his way to India when law enforcement agencies apprehended him from the sea, arrested him and took these items into custody,' the minister said.

'This is part of a greater plan by India to malign Pakistan and to use such propaganda items and disinformation and misinformation, and we have been very active countering the misinformation and disinformation by the Indian media and Indian state,' he said.

'Now this is a glaring example of the extent the Indian state is going to malign Pakistan because they are not able to digest the successes of Pakistan,' he said.

'So this is the kind of propaganda warfare that they resort to, and detailed investigations have been carried out,' he said, adding that Mallah had also confessed to his crimes.

Attaullah Tarar said India has resorted to propaganda warfare and massive misinformation campaigns against Pakistan after facing worst failure and embarrassment in Operation Sindoor.

He said Ijaz Mallah was carrying out certain tasks given by Indian handlers. He said the fisherman Ijaz Mallah was arrested in the high seas when he was on his way to India to deliver the uniforms of Sindh Rangers, Pakistan Navy and Army. He said Pakistani currency, cigarettes, receipts and Zong SIM cards were also recovered from him.

The Information Minister said Ijaz Mallah was tasked to procure these uniforms with certain name tags and fitting, because it was part of a bigger plan of Indian intelligence agencies to launch propaganda warfare against Pakistan.

He said the arrest of the fisherman Ijaz Mallah is a crystal clear example of what Indian state is doing to malign Pakistan. He said Pakistan is presenting this evidence to the entire world to expose India's nefarious designs.

Attaullah Tarar said the entire world is fully aware of the Indian nefarious designs and false narrative.

The Minister noted that this particular activity could be linked with the Naval exercise being carried out by the Indian Navy in the Kutch, Gujrat and Bhoj area.

He said, after the arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav, India is now resorting to send common fishermen because they can't risk sending their commissioned officers in the guise of businessmen.

The Minister made it clear that Pakistan's armed forces and Intelligence agencies are fully vigilant, alert, equipped and ready to thwart any eventuality.

The minister then proceeded to play a purported video of the fisherman, in which the man said he was apprehended by the Indian coast guards when he went fishing in August this year.

In the video, the man identified as Ijaz Mallah detailed that he hailed from the Shah Bandar taluka of Sindh's Thatta district, with fishing being a family profession.

'After catching me, they (Indian coast guards) took me to a jail in an undisclosed location, where I was interrogated by an Indian secret agency's official,' he said.

The man added that the Indian official told him he could face two to three years in jail for the offence he was held. 'He (the official) told me that if I worked for them, then they could let me go,' Mallah said.

'He also offered me money and gifts, so due to the fear of jail and for the reward, I accepted the offer . then he told me that bring so and so items, some uniforms of Rangers, coast guard, the navy and the army,' he added.

'We also need three Zong SIMs, bring those, and three bills from a mobile shop,' the fisherman quoted the Indian official as saying. The official also instructed him to bring Pakistan-made cigarettes, match boxes and lighters, as well as currency notes of Rs50 and Rs100, Mallah added.

The fisherman said he was set free by the Indian agency, after which he returned to Pakistan and collected the set items. He claimed he sent a picture of those items to an Indian intelligence officer named Ashok Kumar.

'After that, I headed towards the sea in October but was arrested by Pakistani security and other individuals with them,' Mallah said.

On this occasion, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said Indian regime is habitual of doing fake encounters and staged incidents to build a state narrative. Talal Chaudhry revealed that the agent was instructed to obtain a SIM card from a specific mobile company. He said that the Pakistani media has successfully defended the country's reputation internationally.