As Rajnath Singh reiterates India's vow to chase and kill terrorists escaped to Pakistan, Islamabad accuses of provocation
New Delhi: Pakistan on Saturday criticized the remarks of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who asserted that the Indian government would pursue terrorists even if they escaped to Pakistan after attempting to disrupt the peace of the country.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry in a statement on Saturday called Rajnath Singh's remarks "provocative" and "myopic" and said such rhetoric only "impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term".
The Defence Minister's remark came after the British newspaper The Guardian alleged that India carried out multiple targeted killings in Pakistan. The Indian government has rubbished the claims as "false and malicious anti-India propaganda."
"If any terrorist tries to disturb the country's peace, we will give a befitting reply. If they (terrorists) run back to Pakistan, toh Pakistan mein ghus ke maarenge (We will go there and kill them)," he told CNN-News18.
The Defence Minister asserted, "India has never attacked any country or tried to capture their territory. But if anyone threatens India or its peace, they will not be spared".
Singh also added that India is powerful enough to respond that way and "Pakistan is also starting to understand that".
In response, Pakistan said that it has "always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region," adding that, "History attests to Pakistan's firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself."
Further, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that targeted killings in other countries are "not the policy of the Government of India".
The Guardian report cited documents shared by some Pakistani sleuths which claimed that India's intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) allegedly conducted 20 such targeted killings on foreign soil as part of a bolstered approach to national security after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 40 Indian soldiers.
Meanwhile, analysts suggested that Pakistani authorities have been hesitant to openly acknowledge the killings, as many of the individuals targeted were recognized terrorists and associates of banned terrorist organizations, according to the report.
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