THERE is growing concern in the western world over covert terrorist activities allegedly conducted by India beyond its territorial jurisdictions. In fact, India is accused of operating a high-level international terrorist network aimed at terrorizing, endangering and killing individuals who question Indian treatment of minorities and the human rights situation in the so-called secular India. According to American intelligence sources, senior Indian officials are reportedly involved in this international terrorist network.
On 30 April 2024, the US State Department demanded that India address the alleged involvement of senior Indian officials in assassination attempts targeting certain individuals of Indian origin within the United States. This disclosure and demand were made by a spokesperson for the State Department during a press briefing. Mr. Vedant Patel stated that the US will continue to raise its concerns directly with the Indian government at senior levels.
The involvement of the Indian Government and its senior-level officials was proven by both US and Indian inquiries into the murder of a Sikh leader in Canada and the attempted murder of Indian-origin Sikh leaders in the US. “We continue to expect accountability from the government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee’s work and we are regularly working with them and inquiring for additional updates,” stated a spokesperson. Additionally, Indian Prime Minister, Defense Minister and other officials are on record stating that India has been targeting its wanted individuals within its own territories. Regarding a report by ‘The Guardian’ on the killing of twenty Pakistanis by India within Pakistan, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Pakistan mein ghus kar maaren gay” (We will intrude into Pakistan and kill them there.)
This statement is an open acceptance of Indian terrorism beyond its borders. In March 2024, India shared findings of its investigation with the US about murder attempts of Sikh leaders in New York. As per New Delhi, rogue operatives were involved in an alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist leaders. India told the US that a special panel was set up to investigate a foiled plot to kill a Canadian-American Sikh separatist in New York which concluded that it was the action of rogue government operatives. Surprisingly, India is trying to cheat and deceive the courts and intelligence agencies of the US and Canada, that asked India to undertake criminal investigations about two prominent incidents, took place in Canada and New York in 2023. In the last week of November 2023, the Biden Administration unearthed a plot targeting Sikh leaders in the United States. The prominent among those Sikh leaders was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (a separatist Sikh leader), the Indian RAW officials planned to assassinate at New York on the executive orders from New Delhi.
In connection with the killing of pro-independence (Khalistan Movement), RAW has undertaken a wider planning. This planning includes posting of RAW agents in the Indian Embassies of various European States, United States and Canada, wherever there is presence of Sikhs community. It is worth mentioning that there was a massive migration of the Sikhs after Indian Government launched a military operation for the genocide of Sikhs following the killing of former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Ghandi in 1984. Following the murder plot of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, US intelligence agencies clearly identified and traced footprints of Indian RAW agents behind the assassination attempts of Sikh leaders in the US. As per US media, “A foiled plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader in New York, just days after another activist’s killing, was meant to precede a string of other politically-motivated murders in the US and Canada.” The US intelligence confirmed that along with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, RAW agents had planned to kill at least four prominent Sikh leaders in June, 2023.
Owing to timely surveillance and intelligence, the US was able to foil killing of Sikh leaders in its various cities and also informed the Canadian Government to take necessary measures for the protection of Sikh leaders. As disclosed by a British newspaper, the target this time was Mr Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel of the “Sikhs for Justice” Movement. The Indian Government was infuriated with him since he, along with thousands of workers, has been working for Independent Khalistan. Earlier, killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil attracted international attention and deep anger of Sikh community. Indeed, he was killed by RAW through secretive means, since he was an advocate for an independent state for the Sikh community: ‘Khalistan’. He along with many others was working for the internationalization of Khalistan Movement.
On 30 April 2024, Canadian Prime Minister Mr Justin Trudeau gathered with thousands of Sikhs in Toronto to mark the occasion of Vaisakhi and said, “We will always be there to protect your rights and your freedom and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination”. Despite proof of Indian official involvement in killing attempts of Sikh leaders, India is misleading the world that rogue officials may be involved in these assassination attempts. On their part, Sikh community is of the view that the international community should support them in their right of self-determination since Sikhs have principally decided to have their own homeland. Indeed, Indian RAW has planned world-wide covert assassination plots to target Sikh leaders, who are demanding independent Khalistan. Recent statements of the Indian Prime Minister/Defence Minister provide authentic evidence about the covert operations of the international terrorist network of India in western world as well as in the neighbouring states of India.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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