FO reveals list of 8 Indian 'undercover agents' involved in subversive activities
FO says eight Indian diplomats were involved in terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday said eight Indian diplomats in Pakistan, allegedly members of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB), were involved in terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan.
“As you are aware that a number of Indian diplomats and staff belonging to the Indian intelligence agencies RAW and IB have been found involved in coordinating terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan under the garb of diplomatic assignments,” FO spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said while addressing a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.
The spokesperson further said, "We are disappointed that India has not only been found involved in promoting terrorist activities and terror financing as was disclosed by Kulbhushan Yadav and further confirmed by the statements at the highest political level on August 15 and earlier during visit to Dhaka, but India has also been using its diplomatic mission for its nefarious designs."
Eight Indian spies masquerading as diplomats outed
FO reveled details of names and designations of the suspected operatives:
IB operatives
1) Balbir Singh, first secretary press and information, IB station chief
2) Jayabalan Senthil, assistant personnel welfare officer
RAW operatives
1) Rajesh Kumar Agnihotir, commerical counselor and RAW station chief
2) Anurag Singh, first commercial secretary
3) Amerdeep Singh Bhatti, attache visa
4) Dharmendra Sodhi, staff member
5) Vijay Kumar Verma, staff
6) Madhavan Nanda Kumar, staff
FO also listed activities the alleged spies were involved in:
1) Espionage, subversion and supporting of terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi, sabotage CPEC, and fuel instability in the two provinces. Also create unrest in G-B.
2) In the garb of commercial activities expand network of their operatives and agents.
3) Leverage their position as diplomats for ingress into influential circles for gathering inside information.
4) Damage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations with a variety of activities.
5) Infiltrate Indian agents into social, media and political circles to propaganda purposes and activities detrimental to Pakistan’s interests.
6) Fabricate evidences to portray Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
7) Handle factions of TTP, instigate religious minorities, fuel sectarianism and malign Pakistan with propaganda on human rights issues.
8) Activities in AJK detrimental to the Kashmir cause and misled Int’l Community about indigenous movement for self determination in IOK.
Pakistan on Wednesday busted a network of Indian spies‘working under diplomatic cover’ in a move sure to exacerbate tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours that have been simmering for months.
Official documents seen by The Express Tribune reveal that at least eight staffers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had been identified as serving officers of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB).
‘RAW officer’ arrested in Balochistan
Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri, who is posted as counsellor commercial, is RAW’s station chief in Pakistan, according to officials privy to details. Agnihotri’s mission was to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), exploit sectarian rifts and handle splinter groups of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Vikas Swarup, spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, declined to comment when asked whether the eight ‘diplomats’ would be withdrawn. But sources said New Delhi was likely to pull out these officials after their cover was blown.
Swarup also said six Pakistani diplomats had left the Indian capital on Wednesday but said they had not been expelled.
A senior Pakistani official blamed India for breaching the ‘understanding’ between the two countries regarding the diplomatic staff posted in each other’s countries.
The official explained that both sides knew that certain officials worked under cover and they did so with the full knowledge of the host country. But it was India which breached the understanding by blowing the cover of certain Pakistani staffers working in the High Commission in New Delhi.
Indian spy admits RAW destabilising Pakistan
It all started on October 27 when Indian police detained Pakistani High Commission staffer Mahmood Akhtar on charges of spying.
Akhtar was released because of diplomatic immunity but only after prolonged questioning for obtaining alleged defence-related material from two Indian nationals, who police there claimed were on his payroll.
He was working as visa officer at the Pakistan High Commission for over two and a half years but India claimed he was an ISI official. Akhtar was declared persona non grata and hence expelled by India.
“As you are aware that a number of Indian diplomats and staff belonging to the Indian intelligence agencies RAW and IB have been found involved in coordinating terrorist and subversive activities in Pakistan under the garb of diplomatic assignments,” FO spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said while addressing a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.
The spokesperson further said, "We are disappointed that India has not only been found involved in promoting terrorist activities and terror financing as was disclosed by Kulbhushan Yadav and further confirmed by the statements at the highest political level on August 15 and earlier during visit to Dhaka, but India has also been using its diplomatic mission for its nefarious designs."
Eight Indian spies masquerading as diplomats outed
FO reveled details of names and designations of the suspected operatives:
IB operatives
1) Balbir Singh, first secretary press and information, IB station chief
2) Jayabalan Senthil, assistant personnel welfare officer
RAW operatives
1) Rajesh Kumar Agnihotir, commerical counselor and RAW station chief
2) Anurag Singh, first commercial secretary
3) Amerdeep Singh Bhatti, attache visa
4) Dharmendra Sodhi, staff member
5) Vijay Kumar Verma, staff
6) Madhavan Nanda Kumar, staff
FO also listed activities the alleged spies were involved in:
1) Espionage, subversion and supporting of terrorist activities in Balochistan and Sindh, especially Karachi, sabotage CPEC, and fuel instability in the two provinces. Also create unrest in G-B.
2) In the garb of commercial activities expand network of their operatives and agents.
3) Leverage their position as diplomats for ingress into influential circles for gathering inside information.
4) Damage Pakistan-Afghanistan relations with a variety of activities.
5) Infiltrate Indian agents into social, media and political circles to propaganda purposes and activities detrimental to Pakistan’s interests.
6) Fabricate evidences to portray Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
7) Handle factions of TTP, instigate religious minorities, fuel sectarianism and malign Pakistan with propaganda on human rights issues.
8) Activities in AJK detrimental to the Kashmir cause and misled Int’l Community about indigenous movement for self determination in IOK.
Pakistan on Wednesday busted a network of Indian spies‘working under diplomatic cover’ in a move sure to exacerbate tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours that have been simmering for months.
Official documents seen by The Express Tribune reveal that at least eight staffers of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad had been identified as serving officers of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB).
‘RAW officer’ arrested in Balochistan
Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri, who is posted as counsellor commercial, is RAW’s station chief in Pakistan, according to officials privy to details. Agnihotri’s mission was to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), exploit sectarian rifts and handle splinter groups of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Vikas Swarup, spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, declined to comment when asked whether the eight ‘diplomats’ would be withdrawn. But sources said New Delhi was likely to pull out these officials after their cover was blown.
Swarup also said six Pakistani diplomats had left the Indian capital on Wednesday but said they had not been expelled.
A senior Pakistani official blamed India for breaching the ‘understanding’ between the two countries regarding the diplomatic staff posted in each other’s countries.
The official explained that both sides knew that certain officials worked under cover and they did so with the full knowledge of the host country. But it was India which breached the understanding by blowing the cover of certain Pakistani staffers working in the High Commission in New Delhi.
Indian spy admits RAW destabilising Pakistan
It all started on October 27 when Indian police detained Pakistani High Commission staffer Mahmood Akhtar on charges of spying.
Akhtar was released because of diplomatic immunity but only after prolonged questioning for obtaining alleged defence-related material from two Indian nationals, who police there claimed were on his payroll.
He was working as visa officer at the Pakistan High Commission for over two and a half years but India claimed he was an ISI official. Akhtar was declared persona non grata and hence expelled by India.