Fisherman Ejaz Mallah was arrested by Pakistani authorities after being coerced by Indian intelligence to spy for them
islamabad
A Pakistani fisherman allegedly recruited by Indian intelligence to carry out espionage activities in the country has been arrested, Information Minister Atta Tarar said on Saturday, claiming the move foiled another attempt by New Delhi following the failure of ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry, the information minister was addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday. He said, India has been unable to accept its defeat on the battlefield and now trying to initiate another operation through planting people and infiltration.
“Following the failure of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the embarrassing defeat in the four-day war, the Indian state has resorted to misinformation campaigns because they could not prove their mettle in the battlefield and in the diplomatic arena — hence they resorted to propaganda warfare,” said the minister. He said a Pakistani fisherman named Ejaz Mallah was apprehended by Pakistani law enforcement agency after being coerced by Indian intelligence to work for them.
“He was arrested by the Indian Coast Guard in September while fishing and taken to an undisclosed location,” Tarar added. “He was coerced by the Indian intelligence agency to perform tasks in exchange for compensation, with threats of imprisonment if he refused.”
According to the minister, Mallah was eventually released and tasked with procuring Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Army, and Sindh Rangers uniforms with specific name tags and fittings as part of a larger Indian intelligence plan to launch propaganda against Pakistan.
“He was also asked to obtain Pakistani currency, cigarettes, matchboxes, lighters, and SIM cards,” Tarar said, adding that Mallah collected these items and was apprehended by law enforcement agencies while en route to India. “This is an example of India’s attempts to malign Pakistan due to their inability to accept Pakistan’s successes,” Tarar asserted. He said investigations were underway and that Pakistani security agencies remained on high alert.
The minister added that the activity might be linked to the Indian Navy’s exercises in the Taj or Bhrad area, suggesting it could be part of a wider conspiracy to connect such operations with those drills.
He said India had been attempting to malign Pakistan internationally, alleging that military exercises along the Gujarat–Kutch border were being used as cover for ‘suspicious activities’.
He further claimed that Indian media was actively circulating disinformation to fuel anti-Pakistan sentiments.
In a recorded statement aired during the press conference, Mallah said he belonged to Thatta district and was detained while fishing in August 2025. He claimed Indian officials promised him immediate release and monetary benefits if he agreed to cooperate. After returning to Pakistan and sending photographs of the acquired items to an Indian officer identified as Ashok Kumar, he was arrested while attempting to cross back, according to the officials.
