The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday responded to terrorists wanted in India being mysteriously killed by unidentified gunmen in neighbouring Pakistan, saying that New Delhi would like those terrorists to come to India and face the legal system. However, India did not comment on the developments in Pakistan.
"Those who are wanted in India to face justice for criminal and terrorist activities, we would like them to come to India and face our legal system but I cannot comment on developments that are taking place in Pakistan," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
These remarks come in the wake of a series of 'phantom' attacks against terrorists who attacked or plotted to attack India in Pakistan. Earlier this month, another most wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant named Hanzla Adnan, believed to be the mastermind of an attack on a Border Security Force (BSF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur in 2015, was killed by "unknown" men in Pakistan's Karachi.
Adnan, who is also believed to be close to LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was secretly taken to a hospital in Karachi by the Pakistani Army, media reports claimed. According to the report, he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, December 5. Adnan was also considered a mastermind of the Pampore attack wherein at least eight security personnel were killed.
Two BSF personnel were killed in the Udhampur attack, while 14 were injured. According to multiple media reports, this was the 19th killing of a terrorist responsible for various attacks in India was shot dead in Pakistan in the past 20 months.
Earlier last week, Khwaja Shahid, who was believed to be the mastermind of the 2018 attack on Sunjuwan Army Camp in Jammu, was found beheaded in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), days after he was reportedly abducted by unknown men. In October, Daud Malik, who was also considered a trusted member of Masood Azhar, was killed in broad daylight in Waziristan.
Besides, Malik, Hafiz Saeed's close associate, Mufti Qaiser Farooq, was also met with a similar fate recently -- which was also dubbed as a significant blow to the terror organisations which are responsible for orchestrating terror attacks on the neighbouring nation.
India on Thursday also reiterated that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is an inalienable part of Indian territory.
MEA on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
The MEA also addressed the question surrounding the US indictment of an Indian official allegedly linked in a foiled assassination plot of Khalistani leader and designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Bagchi underscored during the briefing that India has flagged concerns about threats made by extremists and terrorists against the country or Indian diplomats.
"We do take threats seriously. We are caught in a bind here I don't want to amplify too much credence to search extremists who make threats and get a lot of coverage. We have taken up this matter with the US and Canadian authorities. Extremists and terrorists have the tendency to want media coverage on an issue," Bagchi commented, underscoring that the 'individual' was wanted by Indian agencies for violation of law and "requests have gone through" detailing his crimes.
"We would condemn any such threat and our security agencies will take appropriate actions," Bagchi said in response to a question on Pannun's threat to blow up an Air India flight on November 19, the day of the ICC Cricket World Cup final in Gujarat.
He further said, "He is wanted by our agencies for violation of the law and there is a process under which we seek assistance and that they are prosecuted, depending on whether the crime is committed. In our case, I think requests have gone through detailing the kind of crimes that he is responsible for, in India."
This comes as US Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) Jonathan Finer recently raised the Pannun case with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Indian NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and called on India to investigate and hold the people responsible for the case accountable for their actions.
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