Former Pakistani Ambassador to Germany and High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, has claimed that India was involved in the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. While making the bizarre allegation, Basit went on expose a lie peddled by his own country -- about Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Islamabad has always claimed that the former Indian Navy officer was apprehended in its Balochistan province. New Delhi, however, contested the claimed and has, time and again, asserted that Kulbhushan was apprehended in Iran.

On Thursday, Basit took to social media platform X to allege, "India’s complicity cannot be ruled out in Ismail Hanniyeh’s assassination in Tehran to return favours to Israel. RAW has many undercover agents based in Iran. We all remember Commander Kulbhushan Jhadav." The killing that the former Pakistani diplomat was referring to was that of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. The Palestinian militant outfit's leader was killed in a strike in Tehran, which Iran and Hamas have squarely blamed on Israel. 

As exaggerated the claim may sound, Basit's remarks come as a shot in the arm for India, which is currently contesting a plea in the Internation Court of Justice against the handing of death sentence to Kulbhushan by Pakistan. 

Kulbhushan has been languishing in Pakistan prison since 2016. Jadhav was sentenced to death on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017 by the Army court. India had moved the ICJ against the Pakistan Army court.