Pakistan's ISI plots to eliminate UK-based dissidents critical of Pak Army, warns British security agencies

London/Islamabad: – It is reported that a ‘hit list’ has been compiled of journalists and activists living abroad who criticise the Pakistani military. The British daily ‘The Guardian’ published this report; it quoted sources from the British security agencies. The plan comes after the Imran Khan government came to power in Pakistan, targeting activists from Balochistan and the Pashtun movement, including critics of the military. Mark Grant, Britain’s former deputy High Commissioner for Pakistan, said the matter was ‘very serious’ and called on the British government to take ‘immediate action’.

A British-Pakistani youth was arrested in London two months ago. The young man had come to the United Kingdom from the Netherlands. The investigation revealed that the young man had planned to assassinate Ahmed Goraya, a Pakistani-origin activist living in the Netherlands. After the incident, the security issue of the activists of Pakistani descent in the United Kingdom and Europe and journalists and critics of the military has come to the anvil. Earlier, the Pakistani security arm of the military, Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI had been accused of killing critics and journalists living in Pakistan. But in the last few years, it has been revealed that critics of Pakistani descent, based abroad, are also being targeted.

Sajid Hussein, a Baloch journalist, living in Sweden, was assassinated in May 2020. A few months later, Karima Baloch, a Baloch woman activist, was assassinated in Canada. Authorities in Sweden and Canada have denied any conspiracies in these killings. But it has caused panic among critics of Pakistani descent. The Anti-Terrorism Squad of London Police has admitted that the lives of journalists and activists of Pakistani descent are in danger. It has come to light that this team has given Ayesha Siddiqa a ‘warning’.

Apart from Siddiqa, Gul Bukhari, a Pakistani journalist, is also said to be under threat. Bukhari was also abducted while in Pakistan. She moved to the UK in 2018. Police have told Bukhari not to give her home address to anyone else. Along with the United Kingdom, journalists and activists living in France and Germany are also at risk. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also noted the threats to journalists of Pakistani descent, saying the issue is ‘extremely serious’.

Last year, the Pakistani government released a memo accusing journalists of Pakistani descent, in Europe and the United States, of waging an anti-government campaign in foreign media. A journalist from Europe clarified that the threats started coming from the army and ISI operatives following this. Mark Grant, Britain’s former deputy commissioner for Pakistan, said that journalists in the UK are being harassed illegally. So, the UK government and security agencies need to take serious cognisance and action. If the ISI is threatening Pakistani citizens, it is not a matter to be ignored.’