The Foreign Office of Pakistan issued a stern denouncement on Saturday in response to recent remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, confirming India’s policy of conducting targeted killings within Pakistani territory. Terming Singh’s statements as “hyper-nationalistic sentiments” fueled for “electoral gains,” Pakistan vehemently condemned India’s admission to orchestrating killings across the border.
During a televised interview on Friday, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh openly admitted to the Narendra Modi-led government’s strategy of executing operations within Pakistan to eliminate individuals involved in terrorist activities. Singh asserted India’s readiness to pursue and eliminate anyone attempting to carry out acts of terrorism and fleeing across the border into Pakistan.
Singh’s admission came on the heels of a report published by The Guardian, a British publication, revealing that the Indian government had orchestrated approximately 20 targeted killings in Pakistan since 2020. This revelation further exacerbated tensions, following similar accusations from Canada and the United States regarding India’s involvement in extrajudicial activities on foreign soil.
In response to Singh’s remarks, the Foreign Office of Pakistan issued a statement condemning India’s habitual resort to hateful rhetoric to stoke hyper-nationalistic sentiments, exploiting such discourse for electoral gains. The statement underscored that such behavior not only undermines regional peace but also obstructs prospects for constructive engagement in the long term.
Pakistan reiterated its commitment to peace in the region while warning against misconstruing its desire for peace as weakness. The Foreign Office highlighted Pakistan’s firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself, citing historical instances as evidence.
Furthermore, the Foreign Office revealed that Pakistan had provided irrefutable evidence on January 25, 2024, elucidating India’s campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil. Emphasizing the need for international accountability, Pakistan urged the global community to hold India responsible for its “heinous and illegal actions.”
The statement concluded by reaffirming Pakistan’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, citing the robust response to India’s incursion in February 2019 as evidence of its commitment to defending its territorial integrity.
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