The film “Dhurandhar” remains fresh in many people’s minds — the Ranveer Singh-starrer directed by Aditya Dhar, released in two parts, centered on covert surveillance and targeted operations against the nation’s enemies, with the hero meticulously planning and eliminating targeted terrorists before escaping without a trace. Now, a series of real-world incidents in Pakistan bearing an uncanny resemblance to the film’s plot have reportedly left the country, and particularly its terrorist groups, on edge. Unidentified individuals have been killing people linked to various terrorist groups in a highly planned manner and then vanishing without a trace, a pattern that has been the subject of discussion in Pakistan for some time. A fresh such incident in Karachi has now stirred renewed unease across the country.
The incident that has caused a stir involved four unidentified assailants on motorbikes shooting dead a man suspected of links to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, near Road No. 11 in Karachi’s Bhains Colony. Video footage of the incident has gone widely viral online. However, Pakistani authorities have so far made no statement identifying the victim or confirming any links he may have had to the ISI or terrorist groups, and no terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. Some local media outlets have reported that the deceased was said to be extremely close to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. According to reports, the four assailants arrived on motorbikes appearing like ordinary passersby, identified their target, shot him from close range, and left the scene. Despite the area being frequented by people, the attackers escaped without any apparent fear, once again raising questions about who could be behind such an attack.
Such killings are not new in Pakistan
Over the past several months, incidents in which key figures linked to terrorist organizations in Pakistan have been killed by “unidentified assailants” have become a subject of sensational discussion, drawing international attention — particularly since many of the victims have had links to India-focused terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. A video attributed to LeT’s Rizwan Hanif went viral in August 2026, in which, according to several media reports, he claimed that over 30 individuals linked to his organization had been killed by unidentified persons in Pakistan over the past three to four years, citing locations including Peshawar, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, and Rawalakot. However, the Pakistani government has not confirmed this figure, and there remains no clarity on who is behind these killings.
Allegations against India
Whenever such incidents occur, it has become common practice for Pakistan to level allegations against India. Following this string of killings, some Pakistani officials and individuals linked to terrorist organizations have accused Indian intelligence agencies of involvement, allegations India has denied. Similar accusations arose in 2024 over the killings of several individuals in Pakistan with terrorist links, with Pakistani officials at the time attributing at least eight killings to India, though no solid evidence was presented to support these claims. There remains suspicion that these killings could also stem from internal rivalries and power struggles among terrorist organizations operating within Pakistan. Such killings are, in any case, not new to the country — Karachi has previously witnessed numerous killings driven by political, ethnic, and religious motives, with records showing that in a single month, July 2011, a wave of targeted killings in the city claimed more than 300 lives. It remains for intelligence agencies to determine who, or which terrorist organization, is truly behind this latest wave of killings.