Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued, FO responds to Indian defence minister

Pakistan denounced on Saturday the provocative remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, saying Islamabad’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued.

As per a report published by British daily newspaper The Guardian, the Indian government ordered killing of 20 individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to “eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil”.

In an interview to Indian TV news network News18 on Friday, the Indian minister said, “If any terrorist from a neighbouring country tries to disturb India or carry out terrorist activities here, he will be given a fitting reply. If he escapes to Pakistan we will go to Pakistan and kill him there.”

In response, the Foreign Office (FO) said India’s ruling dispensation “habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains”.

“Such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term,” the press release said.

The FO said that in January this year, Pakistan provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India’s campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani 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.

“It is imperative for the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions.” the press release said.

Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region, the FO said, adding that its desire for peace should not be misconstrued.

“History attests to Pakistan’s firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself.”

Meanwhile, Rajnath’s comments came after The Guardian published its report on Thursday, citing intelligence officials from Pakistan and India as well as relevant documents that it said were shared by Pakistani officials.

The report purportedly sheds light on how India’s foreign intelligence agency allegedly began to carry out assassinations abroad as part of its approach to national security after 2019.

“The fresh claims relate to almost 20 killings since 2020, carried out by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. While India has previously been unofficially linked to the deaths, this is the first time Indian intelligence personnel have discussed the alleged operations in Pakistan, and detailed documentation has been seen alleging RAW’s direct involvement in the assassinations,” it read.