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Islamabad on Saturday slammed the “provocative” remarks of Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, in which he appeared to confirm New Delhi’s culpability in an assassination campaign in Pakistan, as reported earlier this week by British daily The Guardian.
“If any terrorist from a neighboring country tries to disturb India or carry out terrorist activities here, he will be given a fitting reply,” Singh told India’s News18 in an interview broadcast on Friday. “If he escapes to Pakistan we will go to Pakistan and kill him there,” he added.
The Indian minister was responding to question about a report published by The Guardian, in which the daily reported Indian intelligence was involved in at least 20 murders in Pakistan since 2020. Citing evidence provided by Pakistani security agencies, the report maintained Indian officers had confirmed their state’s policy of assassinating enemies and dissidents on foreign soil. While India’s Ministry of External Affairs had denied the allegations, Singh’s assertion suggests the opposite.
In his interview, Singh claimed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear this policy was “right” and that “India has the capability to do so.” He added that Pakistan has “also started understanding this.”
India’s involvement in extrajudicial killings on foreign soil first came to light in October 2023 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had seen credible evidence of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder of a Sikh separatist leader. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice said an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in America.
In January, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi told a press conference there was “credible evidence” of links between Indian agents and the assassination of two Pakistani nationals in Sialkot and Rawalakot.
In its statement, the Foreign Office recalled the January press conference, noting Pakistan had provided “irrefutable evidence” of India’s involvement in extrajudicial killings and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil. “India’s assertion of its preparedness to extra-judiciously execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as ‘terrorists,’ inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability,” it said, calling on the international community to hold India accountable for its illegal actions.
“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,” it said, lamenting India’s government often resorted to “hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains.”
Such “myopic and irresponsible behavior,” it said, not only undermined regional peace but also impeded the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term. “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,” it added.
Speaking with Geo News, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif linked India’s assertions to its upcoming general elections, noting P.M. Narendra Modi often relied on his animosity toward Pakistan to attract votes.