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