Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s remarks about pursuing suspects across border

KARACHI - Pakistan on April 6 denounced “provocative remarks” made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in which he said

India would enter Pakistan to kill anyone

who escapes over its border after trying to carry out militant attacks.

Mr Singh’s comments on April 5 came after The Guardian newspaper published a report stating the Indian government had killed about 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader plan to target “terrorists residing on foreign soil”.

“India’s assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as ‘terrorists’, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened since a

2019 suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy

in Kashmir was traced to Pakistan-based militants and prompted New Delhi to carry out an air strike on what it said was a militant base in Pakistan.

Pakistan said earlier in 2024 it had credible evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of two of its citizens on its soil. India said it was “false and malicious” propaganda.

Canada and the United States in 2023 accused India of killing or attempting to kill people in those countries.

Canada said in September that it was pursuing “credible allegations” linking India to

the death of a Sikh separatist leader

shot dead in June – claims that India said were “absurd and motivated”.

A top Canadian official said in January that India was cooperating in the matter and bilateral ties were improving.

The US similarly said in November that it had

thwarted an Indian plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader

and announced charges against a person it said had worked with India to orchestrate the attempted murder.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India will investigate any information it receives on the matter. REUTERS