In a startling revelation, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Syrus Sajjad Qazi, disclosed on Thursday that India was involved in recent target killing incidents within the country. Qazi asserted that evidence, including financial transactions and confessions from the perpetrators, pointed to the involvement of Indian citizens in orchestrating the murders.
During a press briefing at the Foreign Office, Qazi stated, “We have confirmed evidence that two Pakistani citizens were killed by India. Confirmed links of the killer to India have been found.” The Foreign Secretary identified the alleged perpetrators as Ashok Kumar and Yogesh Kumar, claiming they had paid agents to carry out the targeted killings.
Qazi provided specific details about the two incidents, citing the case of Shahid Latif, a Pakistani citizen allegedly killed by Indian national Yogesh Kumar.
According to the Foreign Secretary, Yogesh Kumar hired a local assassin, Umair, to carry out the killing. The law enforcement agencies apprehended Umair and his associates on October 12, 2023, as they attempted to flee the country.
A second case involved the killing of Muhammad Riaz in Rawalakot. The investigation revealed that Abdullah Ali, another paid assassin, was responsible for Riaz’s death on September 8 the previous year.
Foreign Secretary Qazi emphasised that the Indian agents had received money for these murders, stating, “India should be held accountable at the international level.” He highlighted the celebration of the killings on Indian social media platforms and pointed to admissions from the arrested target killers, Umair and Abdullah, as well as evidence of money transfers into their accounts.
Qazi maintained that India had not limited such activities to Pakistan, asserting that the neighbouring country had also violated international laws in Canada and the United States in the past. He drew attention to the ongoing case of Kulbhushan Jadhav in the International Court of Justice, reinforcing Pakistan’s stance against alleged Indian interference.
“The killing of a Sikh leader in Canada is just one example of India’s global operations,” Qazi remarked, indicating a pattern of alleged misconduct by Indian intelligence agencies. He asserted that Pakistan reserved the right to raise the matter at any international forum, including the International Court of Justice. The accusations against India raise concerns about the potential escalation of tensions between the two neighbouring countries, with the international community likely to closely monitor developments in the coming days.
