- By Mayukh Debnath
- Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
There has been a recent spike, more so in the past month, in the killings of individuals associated with anti-India terror groups in Pakistan. A few of these targeted killings have been publicly blamed on India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), by Pakistani authorities. However, Pakistan has not been able to present any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims.
The latest in the list of high-profile terrorists gunned down in Pakistan, which is known globally for nurturing terrorism on its soil, is Maulana Raheem Ullah Tariq. He was a close aide of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar. Tariq was shot dead by unidentified assailants as part of "an act of terrorism" in Karachi on Sunday (November 12), the local police said.
Below is a list of other anti-India terrorists killed while being under Pakistan's protection in 2023. The accounts of most of the killings are based on news reports published by Indian media outlets.
Akram Ghazi
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Akram Khan Ghazi was gunned down in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by unidentified shooters who had arrived on a motorcycle. Ghazi was responsible for brainwashing youths against India and recruiting them into LeT, which then sent the newly recruited terrorists to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) with the aim of destablising peace in Indian territory. Ghazi's death was reported by media outlets in India on November 10.
Khwaja Shahid
The decapitated body of LeT commander Khwaja Shahid was reportedly found in Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He had been abducted three days prior to the recovery of his body. According to reports, his body bore signs of torture. Shahid was allegedly one of the masterminds of the 2018 attack that targeted an Indian Army camp in J&K's Sunjuwan and resulted in the death of six people, including five army personnel. His death was reported by media outlets in India on November 7.
Shahid Latif
Considered to be the mastermind of the 2016 attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base, Shahid Latif was gunned down by unknown assailants in Pakistan's Sialkot. Latif was a designated terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Latif's killing took place at a mosque in Daska town. Latif's brother was also killed in the attack that claimed his life. He was deported to Pakistan in 2010 after having spent nearly 16 years in imprisonment in India. Latif was killed in the presence of his bodyguards.
Mufti Qaiser Farooq
Mufti Qaiser Farooq, a close aide of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, was gunned down by motorcycle-borne assailants sometime around the beginning of October in Karachi. The identity of the shooters could not be ascertained. Karachi police had accused R&AW of being behind the shooting.
Maulana Zia-ur Rahman
Maulana Zia-ur Rahman was a cleric who had links to LeT. He was shot to death by unidentified motorcycle-borne shooters. According to reports, the assailants pumped multiple bullets into the LeT operative. Rahman was killed while he was taking a morning walk at a park in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The targeted killing took place in September.
Paramjit Singh Panjwar
On May 6 this year, Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar had met his fate like that experienced by Rahman. At the time of his death, Panjwar was heading terror outfit Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and was among India's most wanted fugitives.
According to reports, he was out for a morning jog in Lahore when unknown assailants fatally shot him. Panjwar had been provided with one or more bodyguards by the government of Pakistani. One of the attackers was reportedly shot dead by Panjwar's bodyguard(s), while the other sustained bullet injuries.