By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, said on Monday that preliminary findings of an investigation point to Indian involvement in the weekend attack on Amir Tamba, a Pakistani man linked to the 2013 killing of an Indian national convicted of espionage.
Tamba sustained injuries at his residence in Lahore on Saturday. He was implicated in the death of Sarabjit Singh, who was sentenced to death in Pakistan in 1991 on charges of spying.
Gunmen invaded Tamba’s home and shot him before escaping on a motorcycle, stated Ali Nasir Rizvi, Lahore’s deputy inspector general of police.
Conflicting reports emerged regarding the aftermath of the shooting. The Dawn newspaper reported that Tamba was taken to a local hospital by police after his brother informed them of the incident. However, The Associated Press claimed that Pakistani military and intelligence officials intervened and transported Tamba to the Combined Military Hospital.
Tamba, who received three bullet wounds, is reportedly in critical condition, with two injuries to his chest. His current location remains unconfirmed by the police.
The 2013 death of Singh in a Lahore prison led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Although Tamba faced accusations of involvement, he was not convicted.
Singh’s death followed the execution of Kashmiri leader Afzal Guru in Mumbai’s Tihar Jail in February 2013. Singh had been serving a sentence for his role in bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990, which resulted in 14 fatalities.
When questioned about India’s potential role in the attack on Tamba, Naqvi referenced past incidents where India was “directly involved” in assassinations within Pakistan.
“India was directly involved in two to four events like this before in assassinations inside Pakistan. The police are still investigating but till now their suspicion is exactly the same as yours,” he said in response to a reporter’s questions.
“At this time, all evidence is pointing towards them (India), it is inappropriate to say more before the investigation is completed but the pattern [of killings] is almost the same.”
He stated that current evidence suggests a similar pattern, although he refrained from further comment pending the investigation’s conclusion.
Previous allegations by Islamabad have accused India’s intelligence agency of involvement in internal killings, citing evidence of Indian agents’ participation in the deaths of two Pakistanis last year.
A recent report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper alleged that the Indian government has been responsible for approximately 20 deaths in Pakistan since 2020, targeting militants abroad. Pakistan has denied providing safe haven to militants.
Punjab government said a comprehensive investigation has been initiated to uncover the motive, including any foreign government involvement. Islampura police have filed a case against unidentified assailants, and the Punjab government has assigned the Counter-Terrorism Department to lead the probe.
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