The United States has stated that it will not interfere in the media reports accusing the Modi government of ordering targeted killings of terrorists in Pakistan. The US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, made it clear that the Biden administration will not get involved in the issue. The report claims that the Indian intelligence agency R&AW carried out up to 20 assassinations since the Pulwama attack of 2019. The rise in killings in Pakistan in 2023 was credited to the increased activity of these cells, which are accused of paying millions of rupees to locals to carry out the assassinations. India's Ministry of External Affairs has denied any involvement in targeted killings abroad, labeling the accusations as false and malicious anti-India propaganda [5c6d3e54].
The accusation against India by the media report adds a new dimension to the already tense India-Pakistan relations. The report alleges that India's intelligence agency carried out targeted killings in Pakistan, which has been denied by India's Ministry of External Affairs. The United States has chosen not to comment on the report, indicating a non-interference stance. The accusations, if true, could have significant implications for regional stability and counterterrorism efforts [5c6d3e54].
In a new development, Indian Minister Rajnath Singh has confessed to India operating death squads on foreign soil. The Guardian newspaper reports that India has orchestrated 20 extrajudicial killings in Pakistan since 2020. This confession confirms the existence of an officially sanctioned Indian policy of extrajudicial murder of political dissidents and critics on foreign soil. The timing of the Guardian report benefits the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming elections. India's foreign ministry denies the claims, but Singh's confession raises concerns about India's actions violating international law and sovereignty. The US and its Western allies have taken few punitive measures against India, potentially emboldening them to continue transnational terrorism. If unchecked, India's actions could imperil regional peace and threaten the rule-based international order [d08e1ab8].