Pro-Khalistani Leader Pannun Admits Contact with Trudeau’s Office Amid Escalating India-Canada Tensions

Pro-Khalistani Leader Pannun Admits Contact with Trudeau’s Office Amid Escalating India-Canada Tensions

The general counsel of the secessionist movement Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is also a proscribed terrorist in India, has disclosed that his group had spoken with the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in recent years. Pannun revealed that the SFJ had supplied intelligence regarding purported Indian espionage networks functioning in Canada during an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

In response to remarks made by Commissioner Mike Duheme of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Pannun said, “This shows Canada’s commitment to justice and the rule of law.” The Prime Minister’s Office has been in contact with Sikhs for Justice for the past two to three years, sharing information about these spy networks. It was a start in the right direction when Prime Minister Trudeau stood up.

Pannun added that Canada’s decision to expel Indian diplomats was only the first step. “We think the Indian consulates in Toronto and Vancouver ought to be shut down for good. Replacing expelled diplomats will not eliminate India’s intelligence network. This is a blatant affront to Canada’s sovereignty,” Pannun said.

His remarks are made while growing diplomatic tensions between Canada and India.

India-Canada Diplomatic Crisis Intensifies

Indian government agents are charged by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme of engaging in violent crimes, such as murder, extortion, and intimidation, in Canada, mostly against pro-Khalistani militants. Indian diplomats and consulate personnel were also connected to these crimes by the RCMP, along with potential connections to the Bishnoi gang, a criminal group active in Canada.

Indian officials in New Delhi have flatly disputed these allegations, denying any link between its operatives and illegal activity in Canada. Additionally, Indian authorities denied Ottawa’s assertions that evidence had been exchanged about the June 2023 murder in Vancouver of Canadian citizen and pro-Khalistani politician Hardeep Singh Nijjar. According to India, these accusations are “preposterous.”

Prime Minister Trudeau stated during a parliamentary investigation that Canada had “clear indications” of Indian sovereignty violations, although he acknowledged that the information obtained was not “hard evidentiary proof.”

Also Read: Israel Strikes Hezbollah Strongholds in Lebanon, Killing Nabatiyeh Mayor

In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Canada has not provided any proof to support its grave accusations. “What we have heard today confirms what we have been saying consistently — Canada has provided no evidence in support of the claims it has made against India and its diplomats,” said Randhir Jaiswal, a spokeswoman for the MEA.

India still insists that the decline in India-Canada relations is all the fault of Prime Minister Trudeau.