Islamabad, 14 Oct 2023: The assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, allegedly orchestrated by India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has spotlighted India’s engagement in state-sponsored terrorism on an international scale.
Kashmir Media Service (KMS) released a report detailing India’s creation of the ‘Establishment 22’ or the Special Frontier Force in November 1962. Comprised primarily of Tibetan refugees residing in India, this force was initially trained for covert operations behind Chinese lines in the event of another conflict between China and India. There are now indications of their presence in eastern Ladakh, regions neighbouring China.
Furthermore, the report underscored India’s history of infringing upon the territorial sovereignty of neighbouring countries. Notable instances include a 2015 incursion into Myanmar to retaliate against an ambush in Manipur and 2009 operations in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh to apprehend Indian militants.
KMS’s report also enumerated other operations allegedly directed by RAW, aiming to eliminate leaders championing the causes of Kashmir and Khalistan. This year, figures like Riaz Kashmiri, Bashir Ahmed, and Syed Khalid Raza were reportedly assassinated in Pakistan by RAW agents.
The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada has further amplified these concerns. Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, acknowledged in Parliament the presence of substantial evidence implicating the Indian government in Nijjar’s death. Additionally, Khalistani leader Ripudaman Singh Malik’s murder in Surrey in June 2022, Paramjeet Singh Panjwar’s death in Lahore in May 2023, and Avtar Singh Khanda’s suspicious demise in the UK in June 2023 are instances that have raised eyebrows. Intelligence agencies have also attributed the Johar town blast in Lahore to RAW agents, suggesting a pattern linked to the ‘Doval Doctrine’ created by Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.
Concluding, the KMS report urged the global community to recognize and address the reported actions of India, suggesting steps to ensure accountability for such acts.