The suspected participation of the Indian government in a slew of targeted murders carried out in Pakistan has come into sharper attention due to recent discoveries, raising worries about extrajudicial activities and growing geopolitical tensions in the area.
According to The Guardian, a number of assassinations on foreign land, particularly in Pakistan, are allegedly the result of the actions of India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), based on revelations from Indian and Pakistani intelligence personnel. These activities are thought to be a part of a larger plan to remove those who are thought to be antagonistic to Indian interests.
Reports from intelligence officers, verified by Pakistani detectives, present a disconcerting image of clandestine activities. It is said that RAW has utilized covert techniques to neutralize deemed dangers, and that these activities became more intense after 2019. Since 2020, there have been about 20 homicides in Pakistan that have been connected to unidentified shooters.
Those attacked included alleged terrorists connected to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both of which India has long accused of planning terrorist strikes on its territory. The claims, however, also point to a wider range, suggesting that separatists and dissidents—especially Sikh activists connected to the Khalistan movement—are being targeted in Pakistan as well as in Western nations like the US and Canada.
The reports’ method of operation entails RAW agents operating through sleeper cells, the majority of which are situated in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These cells are accused of helping to recruit poor people or local criminals to carry out killings, sometimes disguising their actions as jihadist endeavors.
There are several purported reasons for these acts; one Indian intelligence officer named the Pulwama assault in 2019 as a catalyst. Forty paramilitary soldiers were killed in the incident, which was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. It also apparently caused RAW to change its approach to include preemptive strikes on targets it believed to be outside of Indian territory.
The accusations also imply a more expansive geopolitical backdrop, with India taking cues from foreign intelligence services like Russia’s KGB and Israel’s Mossad, which are well-known for their participation in extrajudicial activities abroad. Discussions within India’s intelligence circles allegedly referenced the murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi as a precedent.
All claims have been categorically refuted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which has described them as “false and malicious anti-India propaganda.” But according to the records released by Pakistani authorities, there is comprehensive proof, including witness statements and money transactions, connecting RAW to the killings.
The appearance of these accusations presents serious diplomatic difficulties, especially in light of India’s strategic alliances with Western countries. Relations with the US and Canada, who have already voiced concerns about the targeting of Sikh activists, may be strained by the allegations of extrajudicial murders.
King’s College London political scientist Walter Ladwig proposed that the alleged change in approach fits with Prime Minister Modi’s more forceful approach to international affairs. Ladwig drew comparisons between the conduct of Western nations charged with carrying out extrajudicial executions for national security purposes. He said that some people in Delhi believe that these kinds of things are within India’s rights, expressing feelings of national pride.
Ladwig’s judgment was supported by Daniel Markey, a senior expert on South Asia at the US Institute of Peace. Markey emphasized that these said acts are consistent with India’s desire to become a global power. He mentioned that some people in India believe that these bold actions are a sign that the nation is becoming a great power.
If the allegations of extrajudicial executions turn out to be accurate, Western nations that have developed tight relationships with Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration may face serious difficulties. These claims could force Western countries to reevaluate their commercial and geopolitical alliances, especially in light of agreements pertaining to information cooperation.
In contrast to these claims, a senior RAW officer who worked for the agency before to Modi’s appointment denied that the organization was authorized to carry out extrajudicial executions. The person emphasized that the national security adviser, who would then report to the prime minister, had to approve any action done by RAW. According to the official’s claims, RAW has a hierarchical structure and important choices require high-level approval.
The former RAW officer also suggested—and several in India agreed with—that the murders may have been committed by Pakistani actors themselves. Pakistani authorities, however, deny these allegations and provide a list of dissidents living in Pakistan who have allegedly received direct threats against their lives. Those who rejected these warnings and went about their daily lives met terrible ends, according to sources in Pakistan.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.