India Pakistan Kashmir tensions
Protesters wave Pakistani flags during a march against the recent killings in Srinagar,Kashmir Danish Ismail/Reuters

Indian intelligence authorities have released an alleged confession of an arrested terror suspect implicating Pakistan in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir. India's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) said Bahadur Ali's testimony reveals Islamabad's hand in fuelling the fire in Kashmir.

Ali was said to be working for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan extremist organisation, and claimed to have received orders from Pakistani forces. He was arrested on 25 July in Kashmir along with a large cache of weapons when tensions were high in the region.

"LeT terrorist and Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in North Kashmir, was regularly guided by the control room of terrorist groups in PoK [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] with the help of Pakistani forces. We have collected all kinds of evidence. Ali was directed to take advantage of [the] current situation in Kashmir," NIA chief Sanjeev Kumar Singh told reporters.

"Recovered articles show that the terrorist was provided great references in codes. It shows very highly trained people trained him." Ali was described as a "big terror catch" when he was apprehended by Indian authorities.

Kashmir plunged into turmoil in July after prominent separatist leader Burhan Wani was killed by Indian security forces. Both the state and federal governments have been struggling to contain the protests, but in vain. The Indian government has more than once accused Pakistan of having a hand in the crisis.

On 9 August, a day before releasing Ali's alleged confession, New Delhi summoned the Pakistani envoy to India to lodge its protest. India's external affairs ministry said the Pakistani high commissioner was informed of Ali's arrest and his attempted role in Kashmir.

Following the meeting, Islamabad's foreign office rejected India's assertions of any infiltration taking place with the help of Pakistani forces. A spokesperson for the office said: "Pakistan remains committed to the policy of not allowing its territory for any terrorist activity against anyone. However, it is necessary to establish the veracity of the Indian claim. Details in this regard will be gathered."