Daily Times

A recent story published in The Guardian has further exposed the Indian policy of assassinations on foreign soil. This was precisely pointed out by the spokesperson of Pakistan’s foreign office through a presser in the last week of January.

Muhammad Syrus Qazi specifically mentioned the murders of Muhammad Riaz, killed in AJK in September 2023, and Shahid Latif, killed a month later in the city of Sialkot. Pakistan’s foreign office alleged that both the murders were orchestrated by Indian agents. After the Guardian, the rest of the international media is reporting intensively on Indian-sponsored assassinations. Aljazeera has filed a report titled “Is India Behind Target Killings in Pakistan? What We Know.”

This report has mentioned multiple terrorist activities inside Pakistan and being probed for the involvement of RAW hands. India opted to deny the allegations from the Pak foreign office with the usual cross-border terrorism rhetoric. Interestingly, this time it was not only Pakistan complaining about the foul play of Indian Intelligence rather Canada and the USA also pointed out the involvement of state actors. Earlier, in August 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood in Parliament to openly accuse India of the killing of Sikh dissident leader Hardeep Singh Nijar near Vancouver.

Those allegations have sent India-Canada ties into a deep freeze. After three months in November 2023, an American prosecutor said an Indian intelligence official had masterminded a plan for the killing of Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York, who happened to be a dual citizen of the US and Canada. Nikhil Gupta, a middleman tasked with finding a hitman, is under arrest in the Czech Republic. The plot was unearthed after Gupta reached out to a contract killer who turned out to be on the payroll of US federal agencies, as disclosed by US prosecutors. State actors under the fascist BJP regime have started spreading wings globally.

Terrorism in Pakistan, proxy patronization in Afghanistan, manifestation of the Israeli model in illegally-occupied Jammu Kashmir, espionage in Qatar and assassination of Sikh activists in Canada are the latest endorsements earned by India.

As per Bloomberg report on this issue, India had shared the outcome of investigations with the US which revealed the involvement of rogue government officials. Consequently, the US demanded a prompt and transparent conclusion to the matter. Terrorism in Pakistan, proxy patronization in Afghanistan, manifestation of the Israeli model in illegally-occupied Jammu Kashmir, espionage in Qatar and assassination of Sikh activists in Canada are the recent endorsements earned by India. Guardian report disclosed the use of social media platforms by RAW to recruit and brainwash the operators on the ground.

This disclosure further substantiates the busting of a RAW-sponsored GB-based terrorist network in 2019. Over a long period of ten years, a well-organized network was established by RAW in GB through heavy financial patronage and subversive training to the masterminds using the soil of a third country Nepal. The network primarily aimed at launching terrorist activities in Northern areas and subversion of students through sectarian, linguistic and anti-state fabricated themes.

A local person namely Abdul Hamid Khan from the Ghizer area was recruited by RAW. After recruitment, he was initially moved to Nepal for initial training to run a multi-layered terrorist network in GB. In the second phase, Abdul Hamid was taken to India where he was under the direct supervision of his RAW handlers. Huge funding was pumped in by RAW to create havoc and sabotage the CPEC projects.

College and university students were being lured in for terrorism by this network. Hateful propaganda was spread vigorously through social media tools to intoxicate the minds of youth by fanning linguistic, sectarian, territorial and racial prejudices. Faceless creatures regularly spit venom against state institutions by addressing audiences in GB and Balochistan through social media. Multiple posts containing anti-state stuff are viral nowadays which precisely demonize the Chinese government and their citizens working in Pakistan on various CPEC-related projects. Recent terrorist attacks in Baluchistan and Besham were aimed at disrupting the Pak-China strategic cooperation. Threats posed by India merit well well-thought-out response.

After the global exposure of assassination plots, the arrogant response from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reflects the actual rogue mindset of the Indian ruling regime. In an interview with NDTV, Rajnath Singh blatantly took the credit of assassinations inside Pakistan with pointed provocative threats of more such like episodes. It is a well well-thought-out scheme to fetch public support in upcoming elections. However, it is about time for Pakistan to catch the bull by its horns by mounting a befitting response on internal and external fronts.

A graduate of QAU, PhD scholar & freelance writer. Can be reached at fa7263125@gmail.com