The covert chessboard of South Asia is marked by high-stakes maneuvers where diplomacy often gives way to clandestine operations. In this volatile arena, the recent exposure of targeted assassinations attributed to India’s external intelligence agency, RAW, has unveiled a new and dangerous dimension of cross-border hostilities. These operations, which span years and involve a complex web of intermediaries and illicit networks, signify a shift in strategy from proxy conflicts to direct intervention, sparking grave concerns about their impact on regional stability and the norms of international conduct.
India’s covert operations in Pakistan, which reportedly began in 2021, have been shrouded in secrecy and controversy. In its pursuit of a jingoistic agenda, India has adopted a reckless strategy of transational killings, targeting individuals in Pakistan in clear violation of international law. These actions represent a dangerous departure from established norms, challenging the sovereignty of a neighboring state and undermining the principles of international conduct. Such operations not only destabilize the region but also expose India’s disregard for diplomatic channels and peaceful conflict resolution.
The contours of these operations, as reported by The Washington Post, reveal a sophisticated yet flawed apparatus. Based on interviews with officials, examination of police records, and intelligence assessments, the report suggests that RAW orchestrated these killings through intermediaries based in Dubai and local operatives within Pakistan. By employing siloed teams and informal financial networks, RAW sought to maintain plausible deniability. However, operational missteps, such as the exposure of safe houses during the Shahid Latif case, highlight the risks and repercussions of such ventures.
The Shahid Latif assassination is emblematic of the evolving dynamics in this covert conflict. Latif, accused by India of masterminding a 2016 attack on an Indian Air Force station, was killed by a Dubai-based operative. Following the arrest of the perpetrator, Pakistani authorities uncovered intelligence that linked the operation to RAW, including details of safe houses and logistical networks. This incident marked a turning point, compelling Pakistan to publicly call out India for conducting extrajudicial killings on its soil. In a press conference in 2024, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi presented evidence of Indian nationals and called for international accountability. India dismissed these allegations as baseless, perpetuating a narrative of denial that has characterized its response to such claims.
The revelations against RAW are not isolated. Earlier investigative reports by platforms such as The Intercept have documented similar patterns of extrajudicial operations attributed to India. These reports draw parallels between RAW’s methods and those employed by other intelligence agencies, such as Israel’s Mossad, suggesting an emerging trend of states normalizing targeted killings as a tool of geopolitical strategy. However, these actions come at a cost, not only in terms of diplomatic fallout but also in their potential to destabilize regional security.
India’s strategic approach under Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects an alarming and reckless drive for regional dominance at any cost. Modi’s tenure has been marked by an aggressive foreign policy that not only disregards diplomatic norms but actively seeks to destabilize the region through confrontational tactics. His 2024 remarks about “entering [India’s enemies’] homes and killing them” are a stark embodiment of this dangerous mindset—an open endorsement of extrajudicial actions that violate international law. These statements, steeped in nationalistic bravado, aim to present India as an unyielding force, willing to break all conventions in the pursuit of its interests. While such rhetoric may appease a domestic audience, it exacerbates tensions with Pakistan and other neighboring countries, pushing the entire region closer to the brink of conflict. India’s continued reliance on intimidation and military escalation, rather than diplomacy, reveals a government more intent on stoking division and violence than seeking peaceful coexistence.
The implications of these revelations extend far beyond South Asia. Canada’s recent accusations regarding RAW’s involvement in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have further strained India’s relations with Western nations. This is a stark reminder of India’s flagrant disregard for international law and its tendency to engage in extrajudicial operations beyond its borders. Moreover, disturbing reports of surveillance and intimidation targeting diaspora communities, particularly in North America, expose India’s reckless and coercive tactics aimed at suppressing dissent. The cases of Gurpatwant Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader based in the U.S., and Avtar Singh Khanda, who died under suspicious circumstances in the UK, underscore India’s aggressive pursuit of individuals on foreign soil, in direct violation of international sovereignty.
Christopher Clary, a political scientist, has noted that while RAW’s operations draw tactical parallels to those of other intelligence agencies, such as Israel’s Mossad, they often reveal critical operational inefficiencies. These shortcomings become particularly evident in contexts with strong institutional frameworks and robust law enforcement. The failed attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Pannun in New York exemplifies these limitations, as RAW’s methods faltered in an environment where stringent oversight and advanced intelligence mechanisms exposed the agency’s vulnerabilities. This incident highlights RAW’s struggles to adapt its strategies effectively outside of regions with weaker security infrastructures.
For Pakistan, these developments validate its longstanding claims of Indian interference and aggression. However, the challenge is twofold: Pakistan must not only contend with India’s covert operations but also address internal threats posed by operatives disguised as locals, who facilitate these foreign agendas. These dual challenges highlight the complexity of safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty against external aggression and internal subversion. Despite these obstacles, Pakistan has consistently called for an impartial investigation into India’s extrajudicial actions, urging the international community to hold India accountable. The muted response from global powers, however, underscores the geopolitical complexities of balancing India’s economic significance with the imperative to uphold international norms and principles.
Former ISI Director General Asad Durrani has argued India’s covert operations, particularly those orchestrated by RAW, are a flagrant violation of international law and an affront to the territorial sovereignty of neighboring nations. These reckless and destabilizing tactics are not only a manifestation of India’s strategic disregard for regional peace but also a direct assault on the integrity of its neighbors, especially Pakistan. RAW’s operations, designed to fuel unrest and perpetuate conflict, exemplify a dangerous and cowardly approach to foreign policy that thrives on subversion and manipulation rather than diplomacy or mutual respect. These clandestine activities are a deliberate attempt to destabilize Pakistan, diverting attention from India’s internal issues while maintaining an environment of hostility that serves the narrow interests of entrenched political and institutional elites.
The implications of India’s transnational actions are profound and far-reaching. Modi’s vision of an assertive India may be succeeding on the world stage, but at what cost? Is the international community prepared to confront this growing menace, or will it continue to stand idly by as India escalates its transnational campaign of state terrorism? The stakes are high, and the choices made in the coming years will shape the future of global diplomacy and international relations.
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