Report claims Indian Govt ordered targeted killings in Pakistan

A series of killings of the most wanted terrorists in India on Pakistani soil over a span of two years has allegedly been linked to the result of the Indian intelligence agencies' spy work, involving the payment of millions to financially impoverished locals to have its listed targets killed, The Guardian reports.

The report, referring to communications between Pakistani and Indian intelligence officials, explains how India’s Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), which is directly under the command of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, executed its targeted killings in foreign lands, including the killing of Khalistani leaders, as part of its emboldened approach to carry out assassinations for national security after 2019.

According to investigations conducted by intelligence operatives from both India and Pakistan, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India's foreign intelligence agency, allegedly embarked on a covert campaign to eliminate individuals deemed hostile to India's interests.

The allegations, if proven true, could have far-reaching implications for bilateral and international relations. They represent a departure from conventional tactics in the realm of espionage, potentially marking a new chapter in the complex dynamics between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbours with a long history of conflict and tension.

The Guardian claims it has seen documents related to these 20 killings but was unable to independently verify them.

The alleged operations, reportedly carried out by RAW operatives primarily from sleeper cells in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are said to have targeted individuals associated with militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both of which have been accused of carrying out attacks against Indian interests in the past.

Additionally, Sikh separatists affiliated with the Khalistan movement were also allegedly among those targeted, both in Pakistan and abroad.

In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs categorically refuted all allegations, reiterating an earlier statement characterizing them as "false and malicious anti-India propaganda."

The ministry underscored a previous denial issued by India's Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, affirming that extrajudicial killings in foreign territories did not align with the government of India's policy.

The purported modus operandi of these assassinations is as intricate as it is alarming. Indian intelligence operatives reportedly employed various tactics, including recruiting local criminals or individuals from impoverished backgrounds in Pakistan to execute the killings. The use of such proxies underscores the clandestine nature of the operations and the lengths to which RAW allegedly went to conceal its involvement.

The origins of this alleged shift in RAW's strategy towards targeting dissidents abroad are said to be traced back to the Pulwama attack in 2019, a watershed moment in India-Pakistan relations.

The attack, which claimed the lives of 40 paramilitary personnel in Indian-administered Kashmir, was attributed to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. In its aftermath, India's approach to national security reportedly underwent a significant re-evaluation, leading to what some have described as a more assertive and proactive stance.

While India has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as "false and malicious anti-India propaganda," Pakistani authorities have pointed to evidence purportedly linking RAW operatives to the killings. Documents shared by Pakistani investigators allegedly detail the operations conducted by Indian spies to assassinate targets on Pakistani soil.

Moreover, the allegations have sparked international concern, particularly in Canada and the United States, where similar incidents involving the killings of Sikh activists have been reported. Both countries have raised questions about the involvement of Indian agents in these cases, further intensifying scrutiny of India's alleged extraterritorial operations.

The accusations of targeted assassinations, if proven true, would undoubtedly raise serious legal and ethical questions, potentially violating international law. The implications of such allegations extend beyond bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, potentially impacting India's relationships with other countries, particularly those with close strategic ties.

As the story continues to unfold, calls for a thorough investigation into the matter have grown louder, with demands for transparency and accountability from the Indian government. As the international community grapples with the implications of these allegations, the need for a comprehensive understanding of the facts surrounding these events becomes increasingly urgent.

As the spectre of espionage and extrajudicial killings looms large over the India-Pakistan relationship, the path forward remains fraught with uncertainty, underscoring the precarious nature of geopolitics in the South Asian region.