The world’s geopolitics has grown more conflicted by the day. Now, it arises that India and Pakistan are at each other’s throats – again.
It all started when The Guardian reported that the Indian government is eliminating alleged terrorists in Pakistan as part of its new, wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil.
“Interviews with intelligence officials in both countries, as well as documents shared by Pakistani investigators, shed new light on how India’s foreign intelligence agency allegedly began to carry out assassinations abroad as part of an emboldened approach to national security after 2019. The agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (Raw), is directly controlled by the office of India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, who is running for a third term in office in elections later this month.”
These allegations refer to individuals charged with serious and violent terror offenses, but India has also been accused publicly by the US and Canada of involvement in the murders of dissident figures.
“The fresh claims relate to almost 20 killings since 2020, carried out by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. While India has previously been unofficially linked to the deaths, this is the first time Indian intelligence personnel have discussed the alleged operations in Pakistan, and detailed documentation has been seen alleging Raw’s direct involvement in the assassinations.
According to Pakistani investigators, these deaths were orchestrated by Indian intelligence sleeper-cells mostly operating out of the United Arab Emirates. The rise in killings in 2023 was credited to the increased activity of these cells, which are accused of paying millions of rupees to local criminals or poor Pakistanis to carry out the assassinations. Indian agents also allegedly recruited jihadists to carry out the shootings, making them believe they were killing “infidels.”
The focus on dissidents abroad was triggered by an attack in 2019, when a suicide bomber targeted a military convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 paramilitary personnel.
The Guardian revelations caused deep ripples across the East. You would perhaps think that Indian officials would deny all this – but no! Look at the proud reaction from the Minister of Defense Singh in the Reuters report:
“India will enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over the border after trying to carry out terrorist activities in the country, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told broadcaster CNN News18 on Friday.
[…]’If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan to kill them’, Singh told the channel in response to a question about the report.
‘India always wants to maintain good relations with its neighboring countries … But if anyone shows India the angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them’, Singh said.”
As you would expect, the reaction from Pakistan was swift, denouncing the ‘provocative remarks.’
Al-Jazeera reported:
“‘India’s assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as ‘terrorists’, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability’, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry also said that such ‘myopic and irresponsible behaviour’ not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospect of constructive engagement in the long term.
‘Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression’, the ministry added.”
As India and Pakistan have engaged in no less than FOUR wars – in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 – it bears keeping an eye on the developments.
Read more:
Diplomatic Spat Worsens as India and Canada Trade Allegations of Foreign Interference
