CANADA – Pro-Khalistan Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, asserts that India’s attempts to silence and coerce him through asset seizures in Indian Punjab and false cases will not deter the Khalistan Referendum movement, which continues despite challenges.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun spoke after India’s federal anti-terror agency said it has confiscated the properties of Pannun whom it accuses of terror activities in India – following Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s public and shocking accusation that India was behind the assassination of pro-Khalistan Canadian leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was a friend and ally of Pannun.
The seizure of a house and land owned by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in India’s northern state of Punjab “comes as a big boost to the country’s crackdown on the terror and secessionist network being operated from various countries, including Canada,” a statement issued by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.
SFJ General Counsel Pannun said India was desperate and in a state of shock over the success of Khalistan Referendum campaign which has mobilised tens of thousands of Sikhs in UK, Canada, Europe and America through Khalistan Referendum voting.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said on the seizure of his property in Punjab by the NIA: “The issue at the heart of the conflict with India is not the properties of an individual – Pannun. The issue is about the land of the Sikh people – Punjab – that is forcefully occupied by India and the resources of the indigenous people of Punjab that are being plundered by Delhi. Khalistan Referendum 2025 loaded with millions of “votes” is going to be ‘Sikhs’ Surgical Strike’ against India that will liberate Punjab to create Democratic Republic of Khalistan (DRK) where people of all religions are going to have equal status, rights and freedoms.”
In 2020, India asked Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Pannun, alleging him to be a terrorist but. After review of the case, Interpol rejected India’s request on the grounds that India has failed to produce any evidence linking Pannun with any act of violence or terrorism anywhere in the world including India. Interpol further held that India is seeking RCN against Pannun because of his human rights activism and his political campaign – the Khalistan Referendum.
Over the last few years, India has asked the USA and Canada to take action against Pannun but these govts took no action due to lack of evidence and failure of India to back up its claims.
Tensions between India and Canada have escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada had credible intelligence linking Indian government agents to the murder in Canada in June of Nijjar who was President of Khalistan Referendum chapter in Canada, under the banner of Sikhs For Justice which has been spearheading the voting campaign.
This isn’t the first time India has acted against Pannun. He has faced several cases in India over the last several years. According to Indian media reports, the New York based lawyer faces over 25 criminal cases in India.
The NIA, in its latest action, seized properties of Pannun in Chandigarh, and Amritsar.
Last week, Pannun called on the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to immediately expel India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma from Canada after the Canadian prime minister confirmed that the Indian government was behind Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination in Vancouver around three months ago.
Trudeau said: “Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said, addressing the House of Commons about an “extremely serious matter,” after informing the opposition party leaders.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada Pavan Kumar Rai has been expelled as a consequence. “If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rule of how countries deal with each other,” Joly said. “As a consequence we have expelled a top Indian diplomat.”
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had said: “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the Parliament corroborates SFJ’s stance on Nijjar’s assassination. SFJ has been saying since the day of assassination of Nijjar that this is handy work of Indian agencies and Indian agents active on Canadian soil. Nijjar has been assassinated by India for leading the Canadian Chapter of Khalistan Referendum. That is why SFJ has given a call for holding ‘Shaheed Nijjar Referendum’ on October 29 in Surrey BC. We ask PM Trudeau to declare Sanjay Verma Indian High Commissioner to Canada as persona non grata and expel him from Canada with immediate effect. SFJ has been writing to PM Trudeau voting him about Indian intervention since 2022 when we had first voted for the Khalistan Referendum in Toronto September 18, 2022. After Nijjar’s assassination we again wrote to the Prime Minister. It’s now urgent that the Indian diplomats are held accountable.”
