India has termed as “false and malicious propaganda” reports claiming the country’s involvement in targeted assassinations in Pakistan after the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The strong denial from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was given to the UK daily, The Guardian, in response to the report. The report quoted intelligence operatives in India and Pakistan to claim that India’s move was part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil.

The Ministry also underlined a previous statement by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in which he said targeted killings in other countries were “not the policy of the Government of India.”  The Guardian mentioned denial by the MEA.  The report claimed Delhi “has implemented a policy of targeting those it considers hostile to India”.

According to the report, documents shared by some Pakistani investigators indicated India’s intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) allegedly carried out 20 such targeted killings on foreign soil as part of an emboldened approach to national security after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 40 Indian soldiers. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Targeted assassinations increased significantly in 2023, with sources in Pakistan’s intelligence accusing India of involvement in the suspected deaths of about 15 people, most of whom were shot at close range by unknown gunmen, the report said.

According to Pakistani investigators, these deaths were orchestrated by Indian intelligence sleeper cells mostly operating out of the United Arab Emirates.

The report was supported by recent claims by Canada, alleging the involvement of the Indian Government in the killing of Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.

Quoting an unnamed Indian intelligence operative, the report also claimed India had drawn inspiration from intelligence agencies such as Israel’s Mossad and Russia’s KGB, which have been linked to extrajudicial killings on foreign soil. He also said the killing of the Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018 in the Saudi Embassy, had been directly cited by RAW officials.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been strained for the past many years owing to Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, allegedly providing shelters to India’s declared terrorists and its illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Ministry’s denial was mentioned in the report by The Guardian, which claims that Delhi “has implemented a policy of targeting those it considers hostile to India”.