NEW DELHI,India(The Guardian) – In an unexpected twist, India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has brazenly admitted to the Indian government’s involvement in extrajudicial killings in Pakistan, blatantly contradicting previous denials from the Indian foreign ministry. This startling admission comes on the heels of damning allegations by The Guardian, which cited intelligence sources from both India and Pakistan. The report unearths the chilling fact that India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has its hands stained with the blood of nearly 20 individuals in Pakistan since 2020. The attacks have already begun on Indian soil. This is a flagrant violation of international law and human rights, and it demands immediate global attention and action.
The majority of those targeted in Pakistan were convicted terrorists and militants associated with Islamist extremist organizations that have orchestrated deadly attacks in India. Despite earlier denials of such involvement, Singh seemed to affirm India’s policy of pursuing terrorists who threaten India or conduct attacks on its soil, even if they flee to Pakistan.
Singh underscored that this policy has the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting India’s ability to carry out such operations and implying that Pakistan has acknowledged this position. This is the first time India has publicly admitted to such actions by its operatives in foreign territories.
https://brusselsindependent.com/pakistan-denounces-indian-ministers-remarks-about-pursuing-suspects-across-border/
Modi, who is seeking a third term as Prime Minister in the forthcoming elections, alluded to overseas operations in a recent speech, suggesting that India undertakes incursions into enemy territory for retaliation. Indian intelligence officials have pointed to a policy shift towards targeting terrorists in Pakistan following the 2019 Pulwama attack, which resulted in the death of 40 paramilitary personnel in Kashmir during Modi’s second term.
Pakistani intelligence agencies have alleged RAW’s involvement in up to 20 deaths, with evidence pointing to orchestration by RAW sleeper cells, often located in the United Arab Emirates. Some of these killings reportedly involved the recruitment of jihadists through radical Islamist networks, with individuals being led to believe they were executing “sacred killings” of “infidels.”
Moreover, Sikh activists advocating for the separatist Khalistan movement, especially those living in Western countries like the US, UK, and Canada, have allegedly been targeted by RAW’s foreign operations since 2020. Accusations have been leveled against India by Washington and Ottawa regarding its alleged role in the murder of Khalistani Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and a botched assassination attempt on another Sikh activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in the US. India has denied involvement in Nijjar’s murder, attributing the failed attempt on Pannun to a “rogue agent.”
In response to The Guardian’s report, Pakistan’s foreign office has underscored the escalating sophistication and audacity of Indian-sponsored terrorist activities within its borders, drawing comparisons with similar incidents in other countries like Canada and the United States.
