As part of the government’s efforts to stop terrorists that cross borders, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told CNN News18 on Friday that India will go into Pakistan and kill anyone who tries to escape after trying to do terrorist acts in that country.
The defence minister was responding to a question about a story in the British newspaper “The Guardian” that said Indian intelligence services killed terrorists in Pakistan as part of a more surefire plan to keep the country safe after 2019-20.
When Reuters asked the foreign ministry for comment on the report, it did not reply, and the foreign ministry of Pakistan declined to comment either.
In answer to a query regarding the report, Mr Singh informed the broadcaster, “If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan to kill them (Yadi woh bhag kar Pakistan mein jayega, toh Pakistan mein ghus kar marenge)”
“India always wants to maintain good relations with its neighbouring countries… But if anyone shows India the angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them,” Mr. Singh stated.
Since a 2019 suicide bombing of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, was linked to terrorists operating out of Pakistan, relations between the two nations have deteriorated, prompting India to launch an airstrike on a terrorist facility there.
Pakistan asserted earlier this year that it had evidence to support the claim that Indian spies had killed two of its citizens on its soil.
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It was “false and malicious” propaganda, according to India.
The Guardian article was published months after the United States and Canada charged India with assassinating or attempting to assassinate terrorists with Khalistani ties in those nations.
Canada declared in September that it was investigating “credible allegations” that claimed India was responsible for the June shooting killing of a Sikh separatist leader; India refuted these assertions as “absurd and motivated”.
In January, a senior Canadian official stated that bilateral relations were strengthening and that India was helping with the situation.
Similar to this, the US declared in November that it had stopped an Indian conspiracy to kill a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and that it had brought charges against an individual who it claimed had collaborated with India to plan the attempted murder.
According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will look into any information it learns about the situation.
Simultaneously, he stated that India’s goal is to consistently have positive relationships with its neighbours.
“Whatever it is, they are our neighbouring countries. Look at the history. Till date, we neither attacked any country in the world nor tried to occupy an inch of land of any country. This has been the nature of India.”
“But if anyone shows India angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them,” he continued.
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Pakistan had already charged India with conducting killings on its territory. However, India had refuted every accusation.
When asked if the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) might be removed from Kashmir, Singh responded that the Union Home Ministry would need to make that choice.
It’s time to make a decision now. The home ministry will have to choose the receipt of the report. I had stated that the situation has improved to the point where the AFSPA can be repealed, but the home ministry will handle any necessary steps in this area,” he said.
