False and malicious, says MEA on Pakistan’s claim of India carrying out target killings

New Delhi, January 25

The MEA has described as “false and malicious anti-India propaganda” allegations made in Islamabad on Friday by Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi of the Indian government’s involvement in recent target killing incidents within the country.

Qazi asserted that evidence, including financial transactions and confessions from the perpetrators, pointed to the involvement of Indian citizens in orchestrating the murders.

In response, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “It is Pakistan’s latest attempt at peddling false and malicious anti-India propaganda.”

“As the world knows, Pakistan has long been the epicentre of terrorism, organised crime, and illegal transnational activities. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” he added.

Jaiswal also said, “Pakistan will reap what it sows. To blame others for its own misdeeds can neither be a justification nor a solution.”

The Pakistan Foreign Secretary at a press conference said Islamabad has credible evidence of links between Indian agents and assassination of two Pakistani nationals on Pakistani soil. He identified the alleged masterminds as Ashok Kumar and Yogesh Kumar, who hired killers for the murders.

He also said RAW agents used microfinance banking channels like Easy Paisa and Jazz Cash for disbursement to the killers.

It is not clear why Pakistan chose to air the allegation about Yogesh Kumar for four months when the alleged killer, one Muhammad Umair, was claimed to be arrested on October 12 last year, a day after the alleged killing. In case of another murder, Pakistan kept the news about alleged Indian involvement under wraps since September 15 when the alleged killer was arrested.