The widening shadow of-linked Indian operations has now gone beyond South Asia getting to countries such as the United States and Canada. What Islamabad has long described as a regional pattern of covert activity is increasingly being discussed in the context of cases investigated by Western governments themselves. That development matters–not simply because it adds another chapter to the deeply troubled Pakistan-India relationship, but because allegations of state-linked violence beyond national borders raise questions about sovereignty, international law and the limits of acceptable state conduct. For years, Pakistan has accused India of supporting militant activity and conducting covert operations on Pakistani soil. In January 2024, however, Pakistan publicly presented what its foreign secretary described as evidence linking Indian agents to the assassinations of two Pakistani nationals. Islamabad also pointed to similarities between those cases and allegations emerging in North America.  The issue acquired a different international dimension after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the alleged plot to assassinate Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. US prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta in connection with the latter case; Gupta later pleaded guilty to a murder-for-hire conspiracy. Canadian authorities, meanwhile, have publicly alleged links between Indian government agents and the Nijjar killing. The significance of these cases lies in their geography. Disputes between India and Pakistan have historically been viewed through the familiar prism of South Asian rivalry. But when similar allegations arise in North America, the issue can no longer be treated solely as another episode in bilateral recrimination. The internationalization of the issue deserves serious attention. Western governments have a particular interest in establishing........

© The Patriot