'Clear admission of culpability': Pakistan denounces Rajnath's remarks about crossing border to hunt terrorists

Karachi: Pakistan on Saturday denounced "provocative remarks" made by 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.

Singh's comments on Friday 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 airstrike on what it said was a militant base in Pakistan.

Pakistan said earlier this year 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 last year 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 Sikh separatist leader Haredeep Singh Nijjar 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 Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and announced charges against a person it said had worked with India to orchestrate the attempted murder.

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