ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities on Thursday claimed it has “tangible†and “credible†evidence of India ‘sponsoring and financing’ terrorism in Pakistan and has been involved in the killing of two Pakistani nationals in Sialkot and Rawalakot last year.
“We have clear documentary, financial and forensic evidence that two Indian agents masterminded the assassination of Shahid Latif and Muhammad Riaz in 2023,†Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi on Thursday said.
Speaking at a press briefing here, Syrus Qazi informed that Pakistani government was releasing passport details of these agents.
The foreign secretary also informed that Islamabad had also reached out to the governments of relevant third countries.
🔊🚨: Stay tuned for a media briefing by the Foreign Secretary @syrusqazi at 17h10. pic.twitter.com/vbr4GZICCp
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 25, 2024
Details of both assignations
Syrus Qazi said that investigation into assassination of Shahid Latif outside a mosque in Sialkot on October 11, 2023, found Indian agent, Yogesh Kumar, planned the assassination.
Kumar recruited Muhammad Umair, a labourer in a third country, to contact local criminals in Pakistan to trace and assassinate Latif, he added.
“The locally-recruited criminals, however, failed to execute the plot and Umair had to himself come to Pakistan to carry out the assassination,†the foreign secretary informed.
He continued that Umair organised a team of five target-killers who assassinated Shahid Latif. The law enforcement authorities managed to arrest the target killers, including Umair, trying to flee the country on Oct 12, 2023, Syrus Qazi stated.
“We have evidence of transactions made in the process linking the entire chain to Indian agent Yogesh Kumar,†Qazi said.
About the second incident, Syrus Qazi said another Indian agent was involved in the killing of Muhammad Riaz during Fajr prayers inside a mosque in Rawalakot on September 8, 2023.
The foreign secretary said the law enforcement agencies arrested the killer, Muhammad Abdullah Ali, while boarding a flight at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on September 15, 2023.
Syrus Qazi stated that Indian agents Ashok Kumar Anand and Yogesh Kumar recruited Ali, using the social media platform Telegram.
The FS informed that the investigators tracked Ali’s facilitators on the basis of confessional statements and technical evidence.
“India must be held accountable internationally for its blatant violation of international law. Assassination of Pakistani nationals on its soil is a violation of its sovereignty and a breach of the UN charter,†he added.
