Islamabad denounces Indian minister’s remarks confirming Delhi’s assassination policy in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today denounced “provocative remarks” made by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh during a recent interview, confirming The Guardian’s report regarding India’s involvement in the assassination of Pakistani citizens.

Indian Defense Minister Singh, on Friday, revealed India’s covert operations within Pakistan and New Delhi’s policy of orchestrating killings in Pakistan. Singh’s remarks came a day after Britain’s newspaper published a report saying the Indian government had killed about 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of Indian intelligence operations.

He said India would enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escaped over the border after trying to carry out terrorist activities in the country. “If any terrorist from a neighboring country tries to disturb India or carry out terrorist activities here, he will be given a fitting reply. If he escapes to Pakistan we will go to Pakistan and kill him there,” Indian Defense Minister said in an interview to News18 on Friday.

The report quoted evidence provided by Pakistani security agencies and noted that Indian officers confirmed New Delhi’s new policy of assassinating enemies and dissidents on foreign soil. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had denied the allegations.

Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Baloch, in a statement, stated that, “On 25 January 2024, Pakistan provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India’s campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil.”

READ MORE: India involved in terrorism in Pakistan, RAW killed 20 Pakistanis since 2020: Guardian

India’s assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as “terrorists”, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability. It is imperative for the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in response to Rajnath Singh’s remarks.

Furthermore, it added, Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India’s hollow claims of military superiority.

“India’s ruling dispensation habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains. Such myopic and irresponsible behavior not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term,” FO said.

READ MORE: Eight terrorists killed in IBO in Dera Ismail Khan: ISPR

Moreover, the Foreign Office emphasized that Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued. History attests to Pakistan’s firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself, the statement reads.