“These reports are reflective of Indian media’s habitual misrepresentation of facts. This is a simple case of import of a commercial lathe machine by a Karachi-based commercial entity which supplies parts to the automobile industry in Pakistan,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Earlier today, Indian media reported that the country’s authorities stopped a Malta-flagged merchant ship - CMA CGM Attila – that departed from China to Karachi on January 23.

Citing Indian officials, NDTV claimed that the consignment could be used by Pakistan for its nuclear programme and manufacturing essential components for Pakistan’s missile development programme.

According to the spokesperson, the specifications of the equipment indicated the cargo’s commercial use, while the transaction was being conducted through transparent banking channels with all the relevant documentation.

The relevant private entities were pursuing the matter against the unjustified seizure.

This disruption of free trade underscores the dangers inherent in arbitrary assumption of policing roles by states with dubious credentials, the spokesperson added.

“Such acts also highlight the growing impunity of certain states in violating international norms and taking arbitrary measures in violation of international law,” he concluded.