INDIA’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, indirectly accepted “The Guardian Report” about the killing of twenty Pakistanis through its operatives within Pakistan. In an interview with CNN, Mr. Singh further reiterated, “If any terrorist tries to disturb the country’s peace, we will give a befitting reply. If they (terrorists) run back to Pakistan, toh Pakistan mein ghus ke maarenge (We will go there and kill them). This statement is an open acceptance of Indian aggressive designs against Pakistan.
The statement has two connotations; (a) India has been involved in the killing of those Pakistanis whom it allegedly considered to be involved in any attack on Indian soil or in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and (b) India will openly enter into Pakistani territory in the pursuit of any attacker who dares to attack anyone or any installation on Indian soil. In either case, this interview is a clear warning to Pakistan which must be taken very seriously. This indeed is a direct threat to Pakistan which demands a very strong response from Pakistan and the attention of the United Nations and the international community. In order to strengthen its viewpoint, the Guardian carried out extensive interviews of Indian and Pakistani intelligence officials as evidence.
As per the findings of the report, the BJP Government under Narendra Modi has devised a strategy to kill all those individuals involved in militant activities in India or holding an anti-India mindset through its intelligence operatives. This entire strategy has been conceived and implemented under the Indian Government. Since Pakistan shares geographical contiguity with India, it is easy for India to target such individuals through its (in-)famous spying network, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The strategy is not specific to Pakistan; rather, it covers covert operations to eliminate any anti-India individuals worldwide. The killing of Sikh leaders in Canada and America are part of this strategy, as witnessed in 2023.
India conceptualized this strategy during the first era of the BJP-led Modi Government and began implementing it in 2019, with the start of the second era of the Modi Government.
The second era of the Modi Government is full of such incidents of killing anti-India individuals and threats and so-called surgical strikes. During this era from 2019 to 2024, India exploited minorities within India through the Citizenship Amendment Act and anti-minorities campaign, mainly launched against Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Killing and exploitation of Christens in Manipur State is clear evidence of Indian state-sponsored terrorism against its own minorities.
This exploitation is going on unabated in the rest of India through RSS and other Hindu terrorist organizations. The Canadian Government has established through a secret but meticulous investigative system that Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed by an operative of Indian RAW. It was a complicated task since the killing was done through a much concealed process at British Columbia, Canada in June, 2023. As disclosed by Canadian officials, “Canada worked “very closely” with the United States on intelligence that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of a Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year.”
On September 20, 2023, the spokesman of White House, Mr John Kirby unambiguously stressed Indian Government to cooperate with Canadian Government over this act of killing of Sikh leader. Killing of Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil has attracted international attention and deep anger of Sikh community.
The operatives of RAW are stationed everywhere in the world to kill and target anyone who speaks against India. RAW is directly controlled by the Indian Prime Minister. Murder attempt of another Sikh leader, Mr.Pannun, was foiled by the US in 2023. The US has asked for a detailed inquiry of this murder attempt, which India is trying to divert through a fake investigation that it was done by rogue elements. The US has conveyed its annoyance and dis-satisfaction over this Indian response. Indeed, India cannot face the consequences of using a trans-national terrorism network worldwide. Western Governments have started questioning India.
Pakistani intelligence agencies have timely communicated to India and world at large about the involvement of Indian RAW on most of the terrorist activities inside Pakistan. This Indian terrorism against Pakistan is being implemented through three main strategies; (a) directly hiring of terrorists from within Pakistan by RAW operatives, (b) using Iranian and Afghan soil for terrorism all along western borders of Pakistan and (c) making use of separatist elements like Baloch sub-nationalists.
The twenty killings as reported by The Guardian have been covertly done by unknown assailants in Pakistan since 2020 is a case in point which Pakistan clearly blamed RAW and India, but the world remained mysteriously quiet.
“These deaths were orchestrated by Indian intelligence sleeper-cells mostly operating out of the United Arab Emirates”. It is worth mentioning that India RAW is deeply entrenched in the UAE and some other key states of the Middle East. It is easy for RAW operatives and sleeper-cells to get in touch with Pakistani dissidents for execution of those individuals whom India considered as anti-India and threats against its illegal occupation in IIOJK. Through such killings, India wanted to achieve its target of destabilizing Pakistan and to create a scare in Pakistan.
Statements of the Indian Prime Minister, its Defence Minister and other officials provide clear evidence of New Delhi’s aggressive strategy against Pakistan.
Pakistan needs to share the evidence of Indian aggression and terrorism against Pakistan and Pakistani nationals with the international community. Besides, Pakistanis must devise a clear strategy to counter Indian aggression and terrorism.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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