Indira Gandhi International Airport India
A Pakistani national claiming to be an assassin for country's spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence or ISI, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Indian capital New Delhi on Friday, 28 April, seeking help from Indian authorities - Representational image Reuters

A man claiming to be an assassin for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence, popularly known as ISI, landed at the New Delhi airport on Friday (28 April) morning, raising security alarms in the Indian capital.

Accusing the spy agency of keeping his family hostage in Dubai to prevent him from quitting the organisation, the 38-year-old Pakistani national reportedly sought refuge and help from India authorities.

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Sources told The Times of India that authorities in India were trying to verify his claims through an external intelligence agency unit in Dubai. They were also questioning him, and psychiatrists and mental health experts were also asked to check if he is mentally fit.

Sources added that the man holds a Pakistani passport in the name of Muhammad Ahmad Sheikh Muhammad Rafiq. He was headed to Nepal and landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Dubai by an Air India flight around 4.45am local time (00.15am BST) on Friday morning from where he was due to catch his next flight to Kathmandu.

The nervous-looking man was first reportedly spotted at a prayer room at the New Delhi airport. He then approached some airport officials for help, following which he narrated his story to the investigators. He told them that he has been trying to quit the assassin's life for the past six months, but the spy agency has been threatening him against it.

"We are not taking his claims at face value, neither are we negating them. Each and every claim made by him is being independently verified by formal as well as informal channels. We should have some clarity by Saturday," an official told the paper.

The paper noted that the man pleaded with the Indian officials to let him stay in the country and broke down several times while requesting them to rescue his family in Dubai. He also gave police his address in Dubai.

Indian authorities have reportedly contacted the Pakistan high commission about the case and were verifying his passport.