Pak defence minister warns India against giving asylum to Bugti

Islamabad, Sep 23: Pakistan today warned India that by granting asylum to Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti, it will become an "official sponsor of terrorism".

"India granting asylum to Bugti will amount to harbouring a terrorist by a state...thus (India) becoming official sponsor of terrorism," Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted.

Asif's remarks came after it emerged that Bugti's application seeking political asylum in India was yesterday received by the Home Ministry which is examining it.

Bugti, who has been living in Switzerland, on Tuesday approached the Indian Embassy in Geneva seeking asylum in India and exuded confidence of a positive response from New Delhi.

Bugti is the President and founder of Baloch Republican Party. The decision of seeking asylum was taken at a meeting of the Baloch Republican Party on Sunday in Geneva.

He is the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani army in 2006.

Pakistan government had blamed India for helping Bugti flee Pakistan to Geneva in 2010 via Afghanistan.

PTI