{"id":6075,"date":"2023-09-20T18:14:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/us-urges-india-to-cooperate-in-separatist-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-john-kirby\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T18:14:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T18:14:06","slug":"us-urges-india-to-cooperate-in-separatist-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-john-kirby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/us-urges-india-to-cooperate-in-separatist-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-john-kirby\/","title":{"rendered":"US urges India to cooperate in separatist Sikh leader\u2019s murder probe: John Kirby"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>The US has said it supports Canada\u2019s efforts to probe the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on its soil \u2014 in which Ottawa alleges India has been involved \u2014 and urges New Delhi to cooperate in the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe a fully transparent comprehensive investigation is the right approach so that we can all know exactly what happened, and of course, we encourage India to cooperate with that,\u201d John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC), <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/videos\/world\/2023\/09\/19\/abm-john-kirby-jake-tapper-live.cnn\">said<\/a> while speaking to <em>CNN<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Canada\u2019s <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 Surrey, 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>While speaking to <em>CNN<\/em>, Kirby termed Canada\u2019s allegation \u201cvery serious\u201d and said US President Joe Biden was mindful of the accusation.<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether the US knew what intelligence Canada based its allegation on, Kirby replied: \u201cI am going to be careful about what I say here to preserve the sanctity of this investigation and leave it for Canada to talk about the underpinning information here and what more they are trying to learn.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to respect that process and it\u2019s their investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To a question about possible repercussions if it was proved that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the killing, he said: \u201cLet\u2019s not get ahead of where we are. There\u2019s an active investigation and we think it needs to be fully transparent and comprehensive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know that Canada will work to that end. Again, we urge India to cooperate with that investigation \u2026 Once we have all the facts and we have conclusions that we can draw from that, then you can start to look at recommendations or behaviours you might want to pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Separately, another NSC spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, denied reports that the US had \u201crebuffed\u201d Canada over the matter.<\/p>\n<p>She shared a post on X by <em>Washington Post<\/em>, which said: \u201cPresident Biden has aggressively wooed India\u2019s Modi as a counterweight to China. That effort is now complicated by Canada\u2019s explosive allegation that Indian officials may have been behind the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reacting to it, Watson said: \u201cReports that we rebuffed Canada in any way on this are flatly false. We are coordinating and consulting with Canada closely on this issue. This is a serious matter and we support Canada\u2019s ongoing law enforcement efforts. We are also engaging the Indian government.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>India\u2019s \u2018network of extra-territorial killings\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier today, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Canadian accusation showed New Delhi\u2019s \u201cnetwork of extra-territorial killings\u201d had gone global, state broadcaster <em>Radio Pakistan<\/em> <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.radio.gov.pk\/20-09-2023\/indias-network-of-extra-territorial-killings-has-now-gone-global-fo\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The matter was brought up during a <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/mofa.gov.pk\/transcript-of-the-media-briefing-by-the-spokesperson-on-wednesday-20-september-2023\/\">press briefing<\/a> in Islamabad where the FO spokesperson highlighted that the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), had been \u201cactively involved in abductions and assassinations in South Asia\u201d the <em>Radio Pakistan<\/em> report said.<\/p>\n<p>It quoted Baloch as saying that Pakistan had remained a \u201ctarget of a series of targeted killings and espionage by RAW\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn December last year, Pakistan released a comprehensive dossier providing concrete and irrefutable evidence of India\u2019s involvement in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1631025\">Lahore attack<\/a> of June 2021. The attack was planned and executed by Indian intelligence,\u201d she said, adding that in 2016, a high-ranking Indian military officer Kulbhushan Jadhav confessed to his involvement in directing, financing and executing terror and sabotage in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>She termed \u201cIndia\u2019s assassination of a Canadian national on Canadian soil a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty\u201d, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is also a reckless and irresponsible act that calls into question India\u2019s reliability as a credible international partner and its claims for enhanced global responsibilities,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Replying to a question about statements by Indian civil and military leadership against Pakistan, she said Pakistan had the capacity and will to defend itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has done in the past and it will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi said Pakistan was not surprised by the Canadian accusation 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 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><figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  \"><figcaption class=\"media__caption  \">Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi addresses a press briefing at the United Nations Mission in New York on Tuesday. \u2014 DawnNewsTV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/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 allegation levelled against India.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere must be some truth to the Canadian premier\u2019s allegation, that\u2019s why they levelled it,\u201d he said, adding 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.<\/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<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<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=\"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>The US has said it supports Canada\u2019s efforts to probe the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on its soil \u2014 in which Ottawa alleges India has been involved \u2014 and urges New Delhi to cooperate in the investigation. \u201cWe believe a fully transparent comprehensive investigation is the right approach so that we can all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6076,"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 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