On April 4, ‘The Guardian’ came out with a report with the headline ‘Indian government ordered killings in Pakistan, intelligence officials claim’. The article went on to state that this was “a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil” and backed this by interviews and documents shared by Pakistani investigators and said that this is “part of an emboldened approach to national security after 2019”.
“After Pulwama, the approach changed to target the elements outside the country before they are able to launch an attack or create any disturbance. We could not stop the attacks because ultimately their safe havens were in Pakistan, so we had to get to the source,” The Guardian quoted one Indian intelligence operative as saying.
The investigative report said it had seen evidence provided by Pakistani security agencies, and noted that Indian officers confirmed the new policy of assassinating enemies and dissidents on foreign soil. The report also cited unnamed senior officials from two separate intelligence agencies in Pakistan as saying that Islamabad suspected India’s involvement in “almost 20 killings since 2020 carried out by unknown gunmen in Pakistan.”
Indian Statements
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has categorically denied the report by The Guardian, reiterating an earlier statement made by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, affirming that targeted killings in other countries were “not the policy of the Government of India” and that they were part of an orchestrated attempt at “false and malicious anti-India propaganda”.
While speaking to News18 on April 5, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “If he [terrorist] flees to Pakistan, we will follow him and take him down on Pakistani soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken the truth…India has the capability and Pakistan has also started understanding that.” Singh asserted that those trying to foment trouble in India will get a befitting reply.
Pakistan’s Response
The Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement has said that “India’s assassination of Pakistani nationals on Pakistani soil was a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty and a breach of the UN Charter.” The Pakistani statement of course does not disclose the fact that most of the terrorists killed have been involved in acts of terrorism and that Pakistan has denied sheltering them.
Incidentally, Dawood Ibrahim continues to live in Karachi and Osama Bin Laden was targeted in Abbottabad by the US on May 2, 2011, at a time when Pakistan was partnering with the US and receiving a large amount of aid from them in the ‘war against global terrorism’. At that time, President Obama had said, “Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So, his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and dignity.”
The Pakistan Foreign Office in a statement has condemned what it describes as “provocative remarks” made by the Indian defence minister. However, they remain quiet using terrorism as an instrument of state policy. The use of proxies was first witnessed in October 1947 in Jammu and Kashmir, then during Operation Gibraltar in 1965 and thereafter post the humiliating defeat suffered by Pakistan in 1971, they focused on deterring India with nuclear weapons and ‘bleeding India with a thousand cuts’. This doctrine was attempted during the Punjab insurgency and then in the Kashmir insurgency under General Zia ul Haq with the code name ‘Operation Topac’.
Today, faced with increasing terrorist strikes within Pakistan and the elimination of its home-bred terrorists, the nation needs to introspect. Their fault lines are increasingly being widened and exposed and their security lapses within the intelligence and law-enforcement agencies are more visible. Pakistan is seen by many to be in a state of collapse, a country in an abyss. This has been compounded by a declining economy and poor governance.
The World Today
This latest development highlights the complex dynamics and ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan at a time when the world is facing increasing threats from terrorism. Pakistan itself has lately carried out “intelligence-based” aerial strikes inside Afghanistan to punish “terrorists” responsible for killing hundreds of civilians and security forces in cross-border raids. On January 16, Iran had carried out unilateral strikes in Pakistan, against Pakistani-based terrorists. 48 hours after the attack, Pakistan conducted retaliatory strikes inside southeastern Iran, targeting what it described as terrorist hideouts.
The Hamas attack launched on Israel on October 7 and the war that Israel has waged on the Gaza Strip ever since, which has resulted in unprecedented collateral damage, and the recent ISIS attack in Moscow which led to the death of over 130 innocent civilians, has once again shown the havoc terrorists can wreak on society. Terrorism, today, has taken such a formidable form that its effects are visible across geographies and in the virtual space.
Terrorism remains a diverse and dynamic threat in a volatile, complex, uncertain and ambiguous environment. The threats include ideologically motivated violent extremists, and a complex mix of nationalist, ethnically motivated groups and individuals who are prone to radicalisation.
Technological change is accelerating, with cyber and drone technologies all contributing to the constantly shifting landscape. Technology is also impacting global terror financing. The increasing use of virtual assets, encrypted messaging and untraceable cryptocurrency are some of the emerging fields that terrorists are utilising.
Conclusion
The statement by Rajnath Singh, and India’s surgical strikes following Uri and at Balakot are a signal of its strategic intent, ability and willingness to respond strongly to terror attacks carried out on its soil. Pakistan needs to ensure therefore that cross-border terrorism is not at the forefront of its policy. The larger question which remains is how the elimination of terrorism and terrorists should be approached when there is a country harbouring terrorists on their soil. Eliminating terrorist networks requires a re-examination of strategies.
Use of force has been witnessed in the US-led coalition intervention in Afghanistan post 9/11 and by Israel both in Lebanon against the PLO and currently in Gaza. However, there will be critics who will state that unilateral actions erode moral capital and weaken democracy. Terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to peace, security and stability. There is thus a need to build global consensus to degrade and defeat terrorism.
The author is an Army veteran. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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