PAKISTAN has denounced "provocative remarks" made by Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh in which he said India would enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over its border after trying to carry out militant attacks.
Singh's comments on Friday (5) came after the Guardian newspaper published a report stating the Indian government had killed about 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader plan to target "terrorists residing on foreign soil".
"If they run away to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan to kill them," Singh told the channel in response to a question about the report.
"India always wants to maintain good relations with its neighbouring countries ... But if anyone shows India the angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them," Singh said.
Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement, "India's assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as 'terrorists', inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability."
Relations between India and Pakistan have worsened since a 2019 suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir was traced to Pakistan-based militants and prompted New Delhi to carry out an airstrike on what it said was a militant base in Pakistan.
Pakistan said earlier this year it had credible evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of two of its citizens on its soil.
India said it was "false and malicious" propaganda.
Canada and the US last year accused India of killing or attempting to kill people in those countries.
Canada said in September that it was pursuing "credible allegations" linking India to the death of a Sikh separatist leader shot dead in June - claims that India said were "absurd and motivated".
A top Canadian official said in January that India was cooperating in the matter and bilateral ties were improving.
US similarly said in November that it had thwarted an Indian plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader and announced charges against a person it said had worked with India to orchestrate the attempted murder.
Prime minister Narendra Modi has said India will investigate any information it receives on the matter.
(Reuters)
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)