Pakistan has credible evidence Indian agents killed two citizens: Qazi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi said that Indian agents are involved in the killings of two Pakistani citizens, asserting that the law enforcement agencies have credible evidences of the agents’ links to the assassination of two Pakistani nationals on the home soil, ARY News reported.

Addressing a presser, the foreign secretary said that two Pakistanis Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz were killed on 11 October 2023 in Sialkot and on 8 September 2023 in Rawalakot respectively. The one citizens was killed outside the mosque while another was attacked inside the mosque of the respective cities by local paid killer at behest of the Indian agents.

Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi said that Indian agent Yogesh Kumar hired Muhammad Umair, a labourer in the third country to act as a contact with local criminals in Pakistan to trace and assassinate Shahid Latif.

He said that the hired local criminals successfully traced Shahid Latif but could not carry out the murder plan. After some failed attempts, Muhammad Umair was personally sent to Pakistan from the third country to do the task and he organized a team of five target killers. The team also failed in the first attempt on 9 October 2023 but succeeded in assassinating Shahid Latif two days later.

The foreign secretary said that law enforcement authorities quickly apprehended the target killers involved in Shahid Latif’s murder, including Muhammad Umair, who was trying to flee the country soon after completing the task.

Revealing the details of Muhammad Riaz’s killing, the foreign secretary said that Ashok Umar Anand and Yogesh Kumar, the Indian agents planned the murder. He said that Muhammad Riaz was assassinated during Fajr prayer, in a mosque in Rawalakot on 8 September 2023.

Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi said that law enforcement agencies traced the killer Muhammad Abdullah Ali and apprehended him on 15 September 2023 while he was boarding a flight at Jinnah International Airport Karachi. While his accomplices were nabbed from various cities of Pakistan.

The Interrogation revealed that Muhammad Abdullah Ali was recruited and guided by the two Indian agents who utilised social media app Telegram to recruit Muhammad Abdullah Ali, who was asked to locate Muhammad Riaz.

The foreign secretary said that Pakistan has documentary, financial and forensic evidence of the involvement of the two Indian agents, who masterminded the assassinations. “We have also reached out to the governments of relevant third counties. And as I said earlier, there are a few other cases of similar gravity at various stages of investigation,” he added.

He said that India’s involvement in killings of Pakistanis on their soil is violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and a breach of the UN Charter. Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi made it clear that this violation of Pakistan sovereignty by India is completely unacceptable.

The foreign secretary demanded that India must be held accountable internationally for its blatant violation of international law.

“Pakistan remains committed to protecting its people and securing its sovereignty. Protection of Pakistanis and any foreign national on Pakistani soil is a high priority for the Government of Pakistan,” he added.