Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s provocative remarks over assassination campaign
Calls upon int’l community to hold India accountable for its heinous, illegal actions
Islamabad: Pakistan has denounced the provocative remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a televised interview, wherein he appeared to confirm that New Delhi was carrying out an assassination campaign in Pakistan, as reported by The Guardian.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Singh in a media interview had said, “If any terrorist from a neighbouring country tries to disturb India or carry out terrorist activities here, he will be given a fitting reply. If he escapes to Pakistan we will go to Pakistan and kill him there”. He also said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear this policy was “right” and that “India has the capability to do so. Pakistan has also started understanding this.”
Singh’s remarks followed The Guardian’s investigative report, published on Thursday, which said at least 20 individuals had been murdered in Pakistan since 2020 at the behest of Indian intelligence operatives. The report said it had seen evidence provided by Pakistani security agencies, and noted that Indian officers confirmed the new policy of assassinating enemies and dissidents on foreign soil.
In the Foreign Office statement issued today, Pakistan has officially condemned what it describes as provocative remarks made by the Indian defence minister. “India’s assertion of its preparedness to extra-judiciously execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as ‘terrorists’, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability,” the FO said. “It is imperative for the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions.”
It added: “Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India’s hollow claims of military superiority.
The FO said that India’s ruling dispensation “habitually resort to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains”, stressing that such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermined regional peace but also impeded the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term.
“Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued. History attests to Pakistan’s firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself,” it concluded.
