Pakistan accuses 'Indian agents' of killing two of its citizens on its soil

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday claimed that it had “credible evidence” of links between what it called "Indian agents" and the assassination of two Pakistani terrorists associated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Sialkot and Rawalkot last year.

India was carrying out “extra-territorial and extra-judicial killings” inside Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi alleged at a press conference here.

Shahid Latif, a key aide of terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed’s chief Masood Azhar and the mastermind of the 2016 attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, was gunned down in a mosque in Sialkot in Punjab province on October 11, 2023.

On September 8, 2023, Riyaz Ahmad alias Abu Qasim, affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit, who was one of the main conspirators behind the Dhangri terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on January 1, 2023 was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside the Al-Qudus mosque during pre-dawn prayers in the Rawalakot area in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

“Indian agents used technology and safe havens on foreign soil to commit assassinations in Pakistan. They recruited, financed, and supported criminals, terrorists, and unsuspecting civilians to play defined roles in these assassinations,” Qazi said.

The foreign secretary pointed towards Indian media and social media accounts that had immediately claimed and glorified these killings as “successful retribution against enemies of India” and projected their capacity to carry out “these illegal acts”.

There were no immediate comments from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

Qazi also alleged that the potential assassins were recruited using social media, talent spotters, and fake Daesh accounts.

Referring to Shahid Latif’s assassinated, Qazi said, “A detailed investigation revealed that an Indian agent, Yogesh Kumar, based in a third country, orchestrated the assassination.”

Kumar recruited Muhammad Umair, a labourer in the third country, to act as a contact with local criminals in Pakistan to trace and assassinate Latif, however, “they were unable to carry out the execution,” he claimed.

“After some of the failed attempts, Muhammad himself was personally sent to Pakistan to carry out the assassination,” the foreign secretary said, adding that Muhammad organised a team of five target killers and succeeded.

All those involved in the killings were apprehended and a case was being tried in the court of law. “We have evidence of transactions made in the process linking the entire chain to Indian agent Yogesh Kumar,” Qazi claimed.

“Another Indian agent was involved in the killing of a Pakistan man, identified as Muhammad Riaz,” he claimed, possibly referring to Riyaz Ahmad alias Abu Qasim.

The killer, Muhammad Abdullah Ali, was arrested while boarding a flight at Karachi and the interrogation has revealed that he was “recruited and guided by Indian agents Ashok Kumar Anand and Yogesh Kumar,” Qazi claimed.

Pakistan's statement comes months after both Canada and the United States separately accused Indian agents of being linked to assassination attempts on their soil. However, New Delhi has rejected Ottawa's allegations and has launched an investigation into Washington’s claims.