PRO-KHALISTAN elements have been “operating freely” from Canadian soil for nearly 50 years now in the garb of notions like ‘freedom of expression’ and ‘political advocacy’ but the country maintains “complete silence” on intimidation, violence, drug trafficking by these extremists, sources said on Tuesday. The bombing of Air India plane Kanishka was perpetuated by Khalistani extremists way back in 1985 and it was one of the biggest terror attacks in the world in the pre-9/11 era. However, due to the apparent “lackadaisical” approach of Canadian agencies, key accused Talwinder Singh Parmar and his bunch of Khalistani extremists got away scot-free, the sources said.

 

Ironically, Parmar is now a hero of pro-Khalistan extremists in Canada with banned group Sikhs For Justice naming its campaign centre after him. Over the years, Khalistani extremists were further “emboldened” and started “operating with impunity” from Canada. In the last decade, links of Canada-based Khalistani extremists have emerged in more than half of the terror cases reported from Punjab, according to sources. The multiple targeted killings of Sikhs, Hindus and Christians in Punjab after 2016 were the handiwork of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing has led to a row between India and Canada.

 

But Canadian agencies allegedly never launched any inquiry or investigation against Nijjar and his friends Bhagat Singh Brar, Parry Dulai, Arsh Dalla, Lakbir Landa and many others, the sources said, adding that for Canada, they remain “political activists” despite the increasing body count in Punjab. Punjab today suffers heavily because of extortion rackets run from Canada and gangsters based in the North American country bring drugs from Pakistan through drones and sell them across Punjab, they said. A part of this money goes back to Khalistani extremists in Canada. Even in Canada, many pro-Khalistan extremists are part of the drug trade. Inter-gang rivalries among gangsters from Punjab are common in Canada now.