If militants escape into Pakistan after attempting attacks in India, India would pursue them into Pakistan to eliminate them, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told CNN News18 on Friday.
This statement follows a report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper claiming that India has targeted around 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader effort to eradicate militants residing abroad, international news agency Reuters reported.
Singh emphasised that while India aims for good relations with its neighbours, repeated provocations and support for militancy against India will not be tolerated.
He referred to the 2019 incident in Kashmir, where a suicide bombing linked to Pakistan-based militants triggered tensions that led to an Indian airstrike on what was described as a militant base in Pakistan.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained, with Pakistan denying allegations of harbouring militants and claiming credible evidence of Indian involvement in killings on Pakistani soil, the report said.
This tension intensified after Canada and the US accused India of similar actions. Canada alleged Indian involvement in the death of a Sikh leader, while the US claimed to have foiled an Indian plot against another Sikh leader. India has refuted these allegations as baseless propaganda and has expressed willingness to investigate any such claims.
