Pakistan has “reliable intelligence” that India will attack again this month, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday, a statement that New Delhi rejected as “irresponsible and preposterous”.

The attack could take place between April 16 and 20, Qureshi said, adding that Pakistan had told the five permanent members of the UN Security Council of its concerns.

Pakistan had also summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to warn against any “misadventure”, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted.

The Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson said the statement was aimed at “whipping up war hysteria in the region”. The ministry added that the “public gimmick” was a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India.

“It has been made clear to Pakistan that it cannot absolve itself of responsibility of a cross-border terrorist attack in India. No attempt at creating an alibi for its complicity in such attacks will succeed,’’ the ministry said, adding that India “reserves the right to respond firmly and decisively to any cross border terrorist attack”.

The statement came hours after Qureshi told a news conference in Multan that India had generated a war-like situation. “Statements have come out to promote war frenzy and adversely impact regional peace…. Modi government has risked peace and stability of the whole region for politicking and electioneering,” he said.

“Pakistan has reliable intelligence that India is hatching a new plan for aggression against Pakistan. This can happen between 16-20 April. Between 16-20 April, this new drama can be enacted. Additionally, a new incident like Pulwama may be staged in IoK (Indian Kashmir). The aim is to use such an incident to increase diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and justify Indian aggression,’’ Qureshi said.

India had launched air strikes on Pakistan in February in retaliation for the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF men.