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Is India behind targeted killings in Pakistan? What we know

Is India behind targeted killings in Pakistan? What we know

Islamabad, Pakistan — Since June 2021, Pakistan has tracked and accused Indian intelligence agencies of multiple attempts — some successful — at assassinating individuals New Delhi views as terrorists sheltered by Islamabad. On Thursday, British newspaper The Guardian backed those claims, three months after Pakistan’s government formally levelled similar allegations against India. But in the murky world of spies and contract killers, where little can be confirmed independently, New Delhi has long denied its role in extraterritorial assassinations — even as allegations against it have mounted, including from the United States and Canada, friends of India. Here’s what’s known about the alleged killings in Pakistan, what remains limited to accusations, and the implications of the allegations. Who is India accused of having killed in Pakistan? Pakistani security officials speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity acknowledged at least six killings in 2023, and two in the year before, as those that they believe were carried out by a “hostile intelligence agency” — code for India’s external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing — and were investigating. In January this year, Pakistan’s top diplomat in a news conference also claimed that there is “credible evidence” of Indian involvement in killings in the country. “These are killings-for-hire cases involving a sophisticated international set-up spread over multiple jurisdictions,” Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi told reporters on January 25 in Islamabad. Qazi specifically mentioned the murders of Muhammad Riaz, killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in September 2023, and Shahid Latif, killed a month later in the city of Sialkot in the eastern province of Punjab. The diplomat alleged that both the murders were orchestrated by Indian agents. After the killing of two men, Indian news outlets claimed that Riaz was a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based armed group that New Delhi has long accused of some of the deadliest attacks on its soil — including in Mumbai in 2008, when gunmen killed 166 people over three days. Latif, Indian channels claimed, was associated with another Pakistan-based armed group, the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), and was allegedly a key figure involved in the attack on an Indian airbase in Pathankot in January 2016, in which one civilian and seven Indian security personnel were killed. Pakistan did not confirm these alleged links. While Pakistan has not formally acknowledged any other killings besides the two, Qazi in his news conference said there were more incidents that the government is probing into. “There are a few other cases of similar gravity at various stages of investigation,” he said. Among the suspected assassinations was the killing of Sikh community leader Paramjit Singh Panjwar in Lahore — Panjwar was shot dead in May last year. The Indian government had declared Singh an “individual terrorist”, issuing a notification [PDF] in 2020, which accused him of arranging arms training and supplying weapons to carry out attacks in India. Saleem Rehmani, also wanted by India as a “terrorist”, was shot dead in January 2022 in Pakistan. The residence of Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of the banned organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was targeted in June 2021 in Lahore [EPA] What about other Indian operations in Pakistan? Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based researcher on armed groups says the recent killings — if indeed orchestrated by India — were foreshadowed by a significant event three years ago in June 2021 when a car bomb explosion in Lahore took place near the residence of Hafiz Saeed, the co-founder of the LeT. “Pakistani authorities attributed this incident to Indian intelligence,” Sayed told Al Jazeera. “Subsequently, there was an escalation in attacks from early 2022 onwards, targeting key commanders of various former Kashmiri armed groups.” National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf had first blamed India for the attack outside Saeed’s house in July 2021 — a charge that Pakistan levelled again in December 2022. Saeed, who is currently in custody in Pakistan, is accused by India and the United States of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks. India has been demanding that Pakistan hand over Saeed — who has denied the charges — to face trial in the case. The last such demand was made by the Indian government in December last year. The primary bone of contention between the two nuclear-armed neighbours is the picturesque Kashmir valley, which is currently divided in two, with both India and Pakistan controlling parts of it. They have fought two of their three full-fledged wars over the territory. India accuses Pakistan of supporting armed groups such as the LeT and JeM in a bid to foment trouble in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan has steadfastly denied the charges, saying it merely supports the right of Kashmiri citizens to self-determination against Indian rule. India calls armed rebels in Kashmir “terrorists”. What has India said about Pakistan’s allegations? India, which denied the allegations in the latest news report, has also rejected the accusations made by Pakistan previously that New Delhi’s spies were involved in killings on foreign soil. In January, after the Pakistani foreign secretary’s media briefing, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs described the allegations as Pakistan’s attempt at “peddling false” propaganda, saying Pakistan will “reap what it sows”. “As the world knows, Pakistan has long been the epicentre of terrorism, organised crime, and illegal transnational activities. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” the Indian statement said. But Pakistan is no longer the only country levelling such allegations against India. Is India accused of other killings on foreign soil? The allegations and reports of India’s involvement in the killings of Pakistani nationals come at a time when New Delhi has also been accused by the US and Canada of a potential role in plots to assassinate dissidents living in those countries. In November, US prosecutors said an Indian intelligence official had masterminded a plan for the killing of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, in New York. Nikhil Gupta, a middleman tasked with finding

Few changes after Kuwait holds first parliamentary election under new emir

Few changes after Kuwait holds first parliamentary election under new emir

Opposition candidates won 29 seats in the 50-member assembly, closely matching the outcome of last year’s polls, official results show. Opposition politicians maintained a majority in Kuwait’s parliament, results have shown after the country’s third parliamentary vote in as many years. The polls on Thursday were the first to be held under new Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah who came to power late last year after the death of his half-brother and predecessor, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. The official KUNA news agency said on Friday that opposition candidates had won 29 seats in the 50-member assembly, matching the outcome of last year’s election. Results also showed a single female candidate was elected, the same as in the previous parliament, while Shia Muslim legislators secured eight seats in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country, one more than last year. Seats for the Islamic Constitutional Movement, which represents the Kuwaiti branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, fell to one from the previous three. Overall, the makeup of the new parliament is very similar to the outgoing one, with all but 11 politicians retaining their seats. “No radical change was expected in the results,” said Bader al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University. “This is one of the lowest change ratios,” he told AFP news agency. Turnout was about 62 percent after polling stations closed at midnight, the information ministry said. Parliamentary elections have become an annual occurrence for Kuwait, which has seven percent of the world’s oil reserves and the monarchical Gulf’s most powerful elected assembly. However, disputes between the national assembly and the royal-appointed cabinet have caused constant deadlocks, delaying much-needed reforms. The vote was the third since 2022 and the fourth in five years. Political showdown With little change to the parliamentary lineup, the political impasse is expected to continue, according to al-Saif. “A new showdown is in the making,” he said, adding that “some of the new faces are quite outspoken.” Sheikh Mishal has been eager to push through economic reforms in what observers say is an apparent attempt at helping the OPEC producer to catch up with Gulf neighbours which have been implementing ambitious plans to wean their economies off oil. The 83-year-old took aim at the last National Assembly and the government in his first speech before parliament after taking office in December, saying they were “harming the interests of the country and its people”. The government of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf resigned hours after the speech. Sheikh Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah formed a new government that included new ministers of oil, finance, foreign affairs, interior and defence. Sheikh Mishal then dissolved parliament on February 15, less than two months into his tenure. His decree cited the assembly’s “violation of the constitutional principles” as a reason for the dissolution. The new parliament will be tasked with approving the emir’s choice of crown prince, Kuwait’s future emir. If the assembly takes the unprecedented step of rejecting his heir, Sheikh Mishal will submit three candidates for parliamentarians to choose from. Adblock test (Why?)

Why are doctors striking in several countries?

Why are doctors striking in several countries?

Doctors are trying to make the field more accessible, but are they concerned about quality of care or their own prestige? Many countries around the world are facing a shortage of qualified doctors. Several countries have taken steps in recent months to make achieving qualification as a doctor more accessible. But these attempts have been met with pushback from doctors, especially younger junior doctors, with many expressing frustration at having undertaken long and expensive degrees that will no longer have the same value. Some have taken their frustrations to extremes, with patients dying as junior doctors in South Korea strike. Presenter: Myriam Francois Guests: Dr Habib Rahman – Cardiology registrar Dr David Bhimji Atellah – KMPDU secretary-general Dr Alice Tan – Internal medicine specialist Adblock test (Why?)

Baltimore bridge collapse: House Freedom Caucus demands limits on federal rebuild funding

Baltimore bridge collapse: House Freedom Caucus demands limits on federal rebuild funding

The House Freedom Caucus is demanding that any federal funds allocated to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge be offset by cuts elsewhere and that those dollars be narrowly aimed at just structural repairs. The ultra-conservative Republican group is staking out an official position as federal officials work with the Maryland government to assess the damage done by both the destroyed bridge and the impact on activity at the Port of Baltimore. Before greenlighting funds for the restoration, however, the Freedom Caucus signaled for House GOP leaders to force the Biden administration to roll back its pause on new export permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG). BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE: MAN WHO CROSSED MOMENTS BEFORE DISASTER SAYS ‘I’M REALLY LUCKY’ “Before Congress considers any emergency supplemental funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, it’s important that (1) we first seek maximum liability from the foreign shipping companies upfront and (2) the Port of Baltimore draws upon already available federal funds,” the group said. “If it proves necessary to appropriate taxpayer money to get one of America’s busiest ports back online, Congress should ensure it is fully offset and that burdensome regulations…are waived to avoid all unnecessary delays and costs.” The latter point was first raised last week by Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., a member of the Freedom Caucus who represents Maryland’s Eastern Shore. CARGO SHIP IN BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE INVOLVED IN 2016 ACCIDENT “Furthermore, this funding must be limited to physical structure repairs with a federal nexus – this must not become a pork-filled bill loaded with unrelated projects and the House of Representatives must adhere to the ‘single subject’ rule,” the Freedom Caucus statement said. “Finally, the Biden Administration’s pause on approvals of liquified natural gas export terminals – which, like the Baltimore harbor closure, has severe implications for foreign trade – must be lifted before Congress considers appropriating any funding for the bridge reconstruction.” It’s not clear how much impact the group’s opposition will have – while it’s in early stages, a funding package is expected to get wide bipartisan support in the House and Senate, particularly if it’s just targeted toward the bridge and its operations. The bridge collapsed last week after a Singapore-linked container ship lost power and rammed into the structure, killing six construction workers. House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., who is also the subcommittee chairman for transportation on the House Appropriations Committee, told Fox News Digital days after that a funding package would likely come together in a “matter of weeks.”  BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE: SECOND TEMPORARY CHANNEL OPENED, ROUGH WEATHER SLOWS DEBRIS REMOVAL Cole, whose subcommittee is central to advancing any funding package for the bridge, also anticipate that those funds would need to target more than just reconstruction. “This could be a little more complex than normal. There’s obviously the bridge itself, but there’s also… potential damages relating to the interruption of traffic at the port,” Cole told Fox News Digital. “There’s going to be a disruption of traffic, you may have people put out of work, and then the port itself, because it’s likely to not be fully operational for several weeks.” House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital last week, however, were divided over President Biden’s pledge that the federal government would foot the bill for the entire reconstruction.  Reports have estimated that the cost could be as much as $2 billion. Fox News Digital reached out to Speaker Johnson’s office for comment.

RFK disavows campaign email calling Jan. 6 protestors ‘activists’ stripped of ‘constitutional liberties’

RFK disavows campaign email calling Jan. 6 protestors ‘activists’ stripped of ‘constitutional liberties’

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disavows an email that spoke sympathetically of Jan. 6 protesters. The fundraising message — sent on Thursday and titled “We Must Free Assange!” — made a passing comment in support of those sentenced for participation in the riot at the Capitol.  “This is the reality that every American Citizen faces — from Ed Snowden, to Julian Assange to the J6 activists sitting in a Washington DC jail cell stripped of their Constitutional liberties,” the fundraising email read. “Please help our campaign call out the illiberal actions of our very own government.” RFK JR.’S RUNNING MATE AN ‘UNKNOWN QUANTITY’ WITH ‘DEEP POCKETS’ AS GOP, DEMS FEAR SPOILER CAMPAIGN: EXPERTS RFK’s campaign quickly blamed the message on a third-party vendor and said the email is not in line with Kennedy’s views. “That statement was an error that does not reflect Mr. Kennedy’s views,” said Kennedy spokesperson Stefanie Spear. “It was inserted by a new marketing contractor and slipped through the normal approval process.” She added, “The campaign has terminated its contract with this vendor.” RFK JR. REAFFIRMS HE WOULD PARDON EDWARD SNOWDEN ON FIRST DAY OF HIS PRESIDENCY The Kennedy campaign did not clarify which company was responsible for the email. The treatment of whistleblowers Julian Assange and Edward Snowden has become a regular talking point for Kennedy after releasing a video petition this week. Kennedy released the petition Monday, calling on President Biden to pardon Snowden, who in 2013 famously visited Hong Kong and exposed classified NSA documents that revealed the U.S. government was spying on its citizens. He was then charged with espionage and theft of government property. “Snowden performed a critical public service by revealing to Americans for the first time that our government had been spying on us, millions of law-abiding American citizens, in violation of numerous laws and of our fundamental right to privacy,” Kennedy said in a video attached to the petition. The presidential hopeful has previously said he would pardon Snowden and Assange, an Australian publisher held in a maximum security London prison and fighting extradition to the U.S. on espionage charges for publishing classified military documents in 2010. “It’s time that we return our government to the democratic and humanitarian ideals that we’ve always represented as a nation,” Kennedy Jr. said. “Let’s go back to championing free speech and celebrating truth-tellers and the whistleblowers who put their careers and their own freedom on the line to protect ours.” Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.