The Ministry of External Affairs has refuted claims made by a foreign media report suggesting India's involvement in targeted killings in Pakistan following the 2019 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Describing the allegations as "false and malicious propaganda," the ministry dismissed the report, stating that targeted assassinations in other countries were not part of the Indian government's policy, as previously stated by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
As per the report, purported documents shared by Pakistani investigators alleged that India's intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), orchestrated around 20 targeted killings on foreign soil as a response to the Pulwama terror attack, which claimed the lives of 40 Indian soldiers and was later claimed by the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The report suggested a surge in targeted assassinations in 2023, with Pakistani intelligence sources accusing India of involvement in the suspected deaths of approximately 15 individuals, mostly carried out by unknown gunmen. It claimed that these operations were conducted by Indian intelligence sleeper cells, primarily based in the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, the report cited recent Canadian claims implicating the Indian government in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023. It also alleged that Indian intelligence agencies drew inspiration from other countries' practices, such as Israel's Mossad and Russia's KGB, known for extrajudicial killings on foreign soil.
Analysts suggested that Pakistani authorities might have been hesitant to acknowledge these killings publicly due to the targets' association with known terrorist groups.Â
Amid deteriorating relations between Pakistan and India, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif expressed optimism for improved bilateral ties after India's general elections. Conversely, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar remarked on the significant improvement in India's relations with all neighbors except China and Pakistan.
