Pakistan court sentences man to death over RAW-linked assassination

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced Shahzeb Nayyer to death for the assassination of an alleged Hizbul Mujahideen leader, convicting him of terrorism, murder, and receiving foreign funding from India’s intelligence agency, RAW.

Nayyer, also known as Zaibi, was found guilty of killing Bashir Ahmed, an alleged commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, in Islamabad on February 20, 2023. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced him to a double death penalty, 11 years in prison, and a fine of PKR 1 million.

Nayyer, a resident of Rawalpindi, was convicted under Section 302-b of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. He also received a five-year prison term for receiving foreign funds to carry out terrorist activities.

RAW funding and covert operations

Shortly after Ahmed’s murder, Indian media reported that the deceased was Bashir Ahmed alias Imtiaz Alam, a launching commander of Hizbul Mujahideen wanted in India. According to reports, Ahmed was originally from Babarpura, Jammu and Kashmir, but had been residing in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

An FIR was registered against unidentified individuals on February 20, 2023, at an Islamabad police station, stating that Ahmed was a member of a religious organization. Later in 2023, Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have uncovered a local RAW network in Islamabad, leading to the arrest of Nayyer and other suspects.

During the investigation, authorities presented evidence, including pistols and explosives, linking Nayyer and a co-accused to financial transactions from Dubai. Ahmed’s family provided CCTV footage allegedly showing Nayyer surveilling their residence before the killing.

‘Broader security strategy’

The sentencing comes amid growing allegations of India carrying out targeted assassinations in Pakistan. According to The Guardian, intelligence officials from both countries revealed that India’s RAW has conducted nearly 20 assassinations in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader security strategy.

Indian intelligence officers reportedly said the shift to targeting dissidents abroad followed the 2019 Pulwama attack, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. The attack, claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, prompted India to adopt a more aggressive intelligence approach.

The report stated that RAW’s operations targeted individuals accused of terrorism, as well as Sikh separatists, using sleeper cells operating from the UAE. Pakistani investigators alleged that these cells hired local criminals and jihadists, convincing them to kill “infidels.”

India has faced similar accusations beyond Pakistan's borders. In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. In November 2023, U.S. authorities charged an Indian national for an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.

India's Ministry of External Affairs has consistently rejected these allegations. The government, through Foreign Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in November 2023 and others, has described such accusations as "contrary to government policy" while emphasizing the need to investigate international criminal networks.