Extra-territorial killings: Pakistan opening new ‘diplomatic offensive’ against India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is opening a new diplomatic offensive against India for its “global assassination campaign” by approaching the United States and Canada as well as sharing evidence of some cases of killings of Pakistani nationals under New Delhi’s sinister campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings.

Informed sources told Business Recorder that Pakistani authorities are investigating several cases of target killings inside the country in which evidence leads to a sophisticated and sinister Indian campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings through hired agents.

Besides, the official said that the evidence collected will also be shared with Islamabad-based diplomats of some major countries while a formal protest will also be lodged with the Indian government through diplomatic channels.

Through a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi shared details of two Pakistani citizens who were killed on the same pattern the Indian intelligence agencies have assassinated Sikh leaders both in the US and Canada.

“Yes, we are approaching these countries [the US and Canada] to share our findings with them,” said a senior government official, adding that the evidence collected by Pakistani authorities revealed the Indian spy agencies “used several layers of separation” to execute the assassination plans on Pakistani soil.

The official added that criminal elements associated with underworld gangs and some Jihadi elements were used in executing their plans to assassinate Pakistani nationals.

“In fact, some cases are even interesting to study, as the Indian perpetrators, while sitting in a third country, used such sophisticated techniques being used in Hollywood movies,” the official further maintained.

In November last year, the US Justice Department said that an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil. Earlier, the Canadian government had said that there were “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to the June 2023 murder of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil.

Pakistan has revealed the details of the killings of two Pakistanis, including Shahid Latif killed on 11 October 2023 by a group of hired criminals outside a mosque in Sialkot through Muhammad Umair, a labourer in a “third country”.

On 8 September 2023, another Pakistani national namely, Muhammad Riaz was killed in a mosque in Rawalakot through a contractor, Muhammad Abdullah Ali.

“We have all the forensic evidence, money trail and unavoidable proofs of the involvement of Indian spy agencies role in the killing of these two Pakistanis and many other cases of target killings are also under investigation and their details will also be made public in due course of time,” the official maintained.

The official further revealed that there are more than two countries being used by the Indian spy agencies for such a sophisticated and sinister Indian campaign of extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings.

Responding to a question, the senior Pakistani government official said that the government has already approached and shared the evidence with regard to the use of their respective countries by Indian intelligence agencies for this “global assassination campaign.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024