In a press conference held on Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi revealed what he termed as “credible evidence” linking Indian agents to the orchestrated killings of two Pakistani citizens on Pakistani soil.
Qazi characterized the alleged actions as part of a “sophisticated and sinister” Indian campaign involving extra-territorial and extra-judicial assassinations.
“These are killings-for-hire cases involving a sophisticated international set-up spread over multiple jurisdictions,” Qazi told reporters during a press conference in Islamabad.
The strained relations between Pakistan and India, exacerbated by historical tensions and border disputes, took a hit with the arrest of spy Kulbushan Yadav in 2016 and the 2019 revocation of the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The move led to a freeze in diplomacy and trade between the two neighboring nations.
Qazi’s statements come months after both Canada and the United States separately accused Indian agents of involvement in assassination attempts on their soil. While India rejected Ottawa’s allegations, it initiated an investigation into Washington’s claims.
Providing details of the alleged Indian campaign, Qazi claimed that Indian agents utilized technology and safe havens on foreign soil to carry out assassinations in Pakistan.
“They recruited, financed, and supported criminals, terrorists, and unsuspecting civilians to play defined roles in these assassinations,” he added.
The foreign secretary blasted Indian media and social media accounts for their quick claims and glorification of the said killings as “successful retribution against ‘enemies’ of India” and projecting their capacity to carry out these illegal acts.
“Potential assassins were recruited, using social media, talent spotters, and fake Da’esh accounts,” Qazi said.
The Foreign Secretary criticized Indian media and social media accounts for glorifying the killings and projecting them as successful retribution against perceived enemies.
He alleged that potential assassins were recruited through social media, talent spotters, and fake Da’esh accounts.
Qazi focused on two specific cases during the press conference: the assassinations of Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz.
Assassination of Shahid Latif
Qazi said that on October 11, 2023, a group of criminals assassinated Latif outside a mosque in the city of Sialkot.
A detailed investigation revealed that an Indian agent, Yogesh Kumar, based in a third country orchestrated the assassination through criminals and terrorists, he added.
Going deeper into the details of the killing, the foreign secretary revealed that Kumar recruited Muhammad Umair, a labourer in that third country to act as a contact with local criminals in Pakistan to trace and assassinate Latif.
The recruited local criminals were able to locate and trace Latif, however, the killers-for-hire were unable to carry out the execution, Qazi added.
“After some failed attempts, Muhammad Umair was personally sent to Pakistan to carry out the assassination. Muhammad Umair organised a team of five target killers which after the first failed attempt on 9 October 2023, succeeded in assassinating Shahid Latif on 11 October 2023.”
The foreign secretary further stated that the law enforcement authorities apprehended the target killers, including Umair, based on confessional statements and technical evidence, thwarting their bid to flee Pakistan on October 12, 2023.
Qazi said that all those involved in reconnaissance and killing have been apprehended and are being tried in a court of law.
He added that the FO also had evidence of transactions made in the process linking the entire chain to Indian agent Yogesh Kumar.
Assassination of Muhammad Riaz
Sharing the details of the second extra-territorial killing, Qazi said that another Indian agent was involved in killing of Pakistani national Muhammad Riaz. As per the foreign secretary, Riaz was assassinated in a mosque in Rawalakot during Fajr prayer on September 8, 2023.
He said that the law enforcement agencies tracked and apprehended the killer, Muhammad Abdullah Ali, on September 15, 2023, while boarding a flight at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.
“Interrogation revealed that Muhammad Abdullah Ali was recruited and guided by Indian agents Ashok Kumar Anand and Yogesh Kumar. Indian agents utilised social media app Telegram to recruit Muhammad Abdullah Ali, who was asked to locate Muhammad Riaz,” Qazi revealed.
He further stated that Ali received payments through the middlemen based in a third country, and he was also provided with weapons and ammunition.
“After a failed attempt on September 7, 2023, Muhammad Abdullah Ali succeeded in killing Muhammad Riaz on September 8, 2023,” he added.
Later, the law enforcement authorities apprehended the killer, his supporters and facilitators from various cities of Pakistan, and the case is being tried in a court of law.
Qazi said that the investigators quickly identified the facilitators inside the country and in the third countries on the basis of confessional statements of Ali and technical evidence.
“We have documentary, financial and forensic evidence of the involvement of the two Indian agents, who masterminded these assassinations. We are releasing the passport details of Yogesh Kumar and Ashok Kumar,” he added.
per the foreign secretary, Pakistan had reached out to the governments of the relevant third countries in this regard.
The Foreign Secretary asserted that Pakistan had evidence linking the entire chain of events to the Indian agents and called for international accountability for India’s “blatant violation of international law.”
He emphasized that such actions not only violated Pakistan’s sovereignty but also breached the UN Charter.
Concluding his remarks, Qazi demanded justice for the victims, their facilitators, and financiers involved in the alleged assassinations, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to protecting its people and securing its sovereignty.
The accused Indian agents’ passport details were also disclosed, and Pakistan reportedly reached out to the relevant third countries regarding the matter.
