{"id":5983,"date":"2023-09-20T12:12:14","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T12:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/pakistan-not-surprised-by-canadas-accusation-of-indian-involvement-in-sikh-leaders-killing-official\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T12:12:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T12:12:14","slug":"pakistan-not-surprised-by-canadas-accusation-of-indian-involvement-in-sikh-leaders-killing-official","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/pakistan-not-surprised-by-canadas-accusation-of-indian-involvement-in-sikh-leaders-killing-official\/","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan \u2018not surprised\u2019 by Canada\u2019s accusation of Indian involvement in Sikh leader\u2019s killing: official"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi has said Pakistan is not surprised by the Canadian accusation of Indian involvement in a separatist Sikh leader\u2019s killing on its soil and the world must recognise the ways of the country it considered \u201ca supposedly indispensable ally\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Qazi\u2019s remarks came during a Tuesday night press briefing at the United Nations Mission in New York, where he is accompanying interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to attend the 78th UN General Assembly session.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are aware of the nature of our eastern neighbour, we know what they are capable of \u2026 so it is not a surprise for us.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe caught [one of their] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1493236\">serving naval intelligence officers<\/a> on our soil. He is in our custody and admitted that he came here to create instability and spread evil,\u201d he said when asked for a comment on the allegations levelled against India.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1776704\/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death\">allegation<\/a>, centring on the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June in Canada, was made on Monday, with Ottawa expelling India\u2019s top intelligence agent over the matter.<\/p>\n<p>Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a \u201cterrorist\u201d in July 2020. He had denied those charges, according to the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, a nonprofit organisation that says it defends the interests of Canadian Sikhs.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1776816\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Canada said it was \u201cactively pursuing credible allegations\u201d linking Indian government agents to the murder of the Sikh separatist leader.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, PM Justin Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons that any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen was \u201can unacceptable violation of our sovereignty\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He has also demanded that India treat with \u201cutmost seriousness\u201d the bombshell revelation of its probe into the murder.<\/p>\n<p>In response, India <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1776725\/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder\">expelled<\/a> on Tuesday a Canadian diplomat with five days\u2019 notice to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi also dismissed the Canadian accusation as \u201cabsurd and motivated\u201d and urged it instead to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the matter, Syrus said, \u201cThere must be some truth to the Canadian premier\u2019s allegation, that\u2019s why they levelled it.\u201d He added that the situation was developing, \u201cbut going by our experience, we are not surprised\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Answering a follow-up question, the foreign secretary maintained that most of the time, Indian involvement was found in instability in Pakistan. \u201cKulbhushan Jadhav] is a living example of it, and the world needs to know,\u201d he added, referring to the former Indian naval officer who was arrested in Pakistan on March 3, 2016 and said in a confessional video he was in the country for \u201cintelligence gathering for Indian agencies\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In response to a question about conflicts with India, Qazi refused that Pakistan\u2019s responses had been defensive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there is any country that understands India correctly, that\u2019s us. And we are the only country in many respects that is not afraid of India,\u201d he further stated, highlighting that Pakistan had been resolutely protecting its freedom against a rival country 60 times bigger in size.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have been doing this for the past 70 years \u2026 and will do it again when the need arises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again referring to the India-Canada row, he added, \u201cThis is no surprise for us, but the world must realise what are the ways of the country they have made their supposedly indispensable ally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The row over the Sikh leader\u2019s killing is the latest in an escalating row between India and Canada.<\/p>\n<p>There were signs of a brewing crisis before PM Trudeau revealed the probe into Nijjar\u2019s death on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Modi had expressed \u201cstrong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada\u201d during his meeting with Trudeau at the G20.<\/p>\n<p>Canada had also suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India, and last week its trade minister cancelled a trip to the country planned for October.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"india-canada-update-travel-advisory\" href=\"#india-canada-update-travel-advisory\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>India, Canada update travel advisory<\/h2>\n<p>Today, India warned its citizens against visiting parts of Canada, the latest salvo in a diplomatic row over allegations that New Delhi was involved in Nijjar\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n<p>Without explicitly referring to the row, India\u2019s foreign ministry said it was concerned for the safety of its citizens in Canada because of \u201cpolitically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThreats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,\u201d a ministry statement said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndian nationals are therefore advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The advisory did not name specific cities or locations for Indians to avoid.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, Canada also updated its advisory for travel to India, with Indian media <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aninews.in\/news\/world\/us\/exercise-high-degree-of-caution-canada-updates-travel-advisory-for-india-amid-diplomatic-standoff20230920001626\/\">reporting<\/a> that Ottawa had warned its citizens against visiting occupied Kashmir due to a militancy threat.<\/p>\n<p>A <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/travel.gc.ca\/destinations\/india\">statement<\/a> on the Canadian government\u2019s website, updated on Monday, said: \u201cAvoid all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation. There is a threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping. This advisory excludes travelling to or within the Union Territory of Ladakh.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"indias-opposition-dismisses-canadas-suspicions\" href=\"#indias-opposition-dismisses-canadas-suspicions\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>India\u2019s opposition dismisses Canada\u2019s suspicions<\/h2>\n<p>India\u2019s main opposition Congress party has backed the government\u2019s rejection of Canada\u2019s suspicions that New Delhi\u2019s agents had links to Nijjar\u2019s murder, and urged a stand against threats to the country\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n<p>Congress spokespersons backed what they called India\u2019s \u201cfight against terrorism\u201d and criticised Trudeau.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrudeau\u2019s defence of declared terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is absolutely shameful and shows how much the present Canadian regime is in bed with Khalistani sympathisers,\u201d Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior Congress lawmaker, posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Sikh separatists demand that their homeland \u201cKhalistan\u201d, meaning \u201cthe land of the pure\u201d, be created out of Punjab. Its creation was the goal of a bloody Sikh insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s in India\u2019s northern state of Punjab during which tens of thousands were killed.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1776744\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>As the ruling party at the time, Congress led the fight against the separatists and eventually suppressed the campaign, but New Delhi remains wary of any revival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur country\u2019s interests and concerns must be kept paramount at all times,\u201d Jairam Ramesh, the chief spokesperson of Congress, said in a posting on X.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Indian National Congress has always believed that our country\u2019s fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India\u2019s sovereignty, unity and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The insurgency also took the lives of key Congress leaders prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984, and Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a bomb blast by Sikh separatists in 1995.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"shocked-but-not-surprised\" href=\"#shocked-but-not-surprised\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>\u2019Shocked, but not surprised<\/h2>\n<p>A representative of the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, Mukhbir Singh, has said his countrymen may have been \u201cshocked\u201d by Trudeau\u2019s assertion \u201cbut it was no surprise to the Sikh community\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor decades, India has targeted Sikhs in Canada with espionage, disinformation and now murder,\u201d he alleged.<\/p>\n<p>Balraj Singh Nijjar, son of the slain leader, said: \u201cIt was just a matter of time for when the truth would come out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added, referring to government authorities: \u201cHopefully, you can take this a step further and get specific individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The head of Canada\u2019s New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, an ally of Trudeau, called for the inclusion of India in a probe launched in September of alleged interference in Canadian affairs by other countries, especially China.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my experience, as a Sikh Canadian, there have always been suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians. Yesterday\u2019s announcement confirms that these suspicions are valid,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi has said Pakistan is not surprised by the Canadian accusation of Indian involvement in a separatist Sikh leader\u2019s killing on its soil and the world must recognise the ways of the country it considered \u201ca supposedly indispensable ally\u201d. Qazi\u2019s remarks came during a Tuesday night press briefing at the United Nations [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2023\/09\/2015504221496bb.png?r=155130","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-islamabad-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}