India involved in targeted killing inside Pakistan, reports US publication

In a startling revelation, an American newspaper has exposed a covert assassination campaign allegedly conducted by India’s intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), deep within Pakistan. According to the report, India has been involved in a series of targeted killings across the country, including the hiring of assassins using Afghan weapons.

The publication outlines that since 2021, RAW has carried out at least six assassinations in Pakistan, marking a significant escalation of covert operations. The report highlights a case in Lahore last April, where two masked men shot and injured Amir Sarfraz, also known as Tamba, in retaliation for his involvement in the 2011 beating death of an Indian intelligence agent in a Lahore prison. The Indian government believes Sarfraz was linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, which it accuses of orchestrating the incident.

The targeted killings appear to be part of a broader Indian strategy to carry out covert operations across the globe, with similar actions reportedly undertaken in Canada and the United States. The killing of a Sikh leader in Canada and attempts to assassinate another in the US have sparked international concerns about India’s secretive tactics and its involvement in global terrorism.

Pakistani authorities have been vocal about India’s involvement in these killings. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently confirmed India’s direct role in these operations, citing evidence that links RAW to the assassinations. Pakistan has repeatedly called attention to these acts of aggression, urging the international community to recognise the threat posed by India’s covert operations.

The Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, previously suggested in 2014 that while direct military confrontation with Pakistan was unrealistic, covert methods could be used to achieve India’s objectives. Diplomatic sources have pointed to this statement as evidence of India’s long-standing strategy to use assassination and terrorism as tools of foreign policy.

India has faced severe criticism internationally for its involvement in these operations, with authorities in Canada and the US also uncovering instances of Indian diplomats and RAW agents involved in terrorism. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan has presented evidence linking Indian intelligence to the targeted killings of Pakistani citizens, including Mohammad Riaz and Maulana Shahid Latif.