Khalistan: Now, terrorist Pannun threatens to attack Indian diplomats in NZ also

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Safely ensconced in the US and Canada enjoying dual citizenship, hospitality, and protection, Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has threatened to attack Indian diplomats in Wellington after New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters expressed doubts on India’s connection to separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s alleged murder in June 2023 in Canada.

Last week, Pannun, who heads a terrorist outfit “Sikhs for Justice”, put out a poster threatening violent attacks against India’s top diplomats in Canada and New Zealand after Peter’s support to New Delhi in the Nijjar case, the media reported on Wednesday.

This comes after the visiting NZ Deputy Prime Minister’s comments in New Delhi regarding allegations of a “potential” Indian link to the killing of Nijjar in Surrey, Canada, last year. Peters underlined the absence of conclusive evidence or findings corroborating the alleged involvement of Indian agents, and openly questioned the ‘evidence’ presented by Canada.

“As a trained lawyer, I look okay, so where’s the case? Where’s the evidence? Where’s the finding right here, right now? Well, there isn’t one,” he said.

This is a sharp departure from the narrative put forth by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023, claiming Indian agencies’ involvement in the murder. Peters’ comments mark the first instance where a Five-Eyes partner, which comprises the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, New Zealand, has openly contested Ottawa’s claims.

The killing of Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023, triggered political and diplomatic turmoil between New Delhi and Ottawa. This accusation heightened tensions between India and Canada for months, which saw a slight improvement in January following remarks by the outgoing Canadian National Security Adviser noting India’s cooperation in the Nijjar probe.

Peters, currently on a four-day visit to India, assumed office in January as Deputy Prime Minister after Centre-Right parties triumphed over the Left-leaning Labour Party in New Zealand’s last parliamentary elections in November 2023. The Deputy PM, who is also his country’s Foreign Minister, said on Tuesday that the handling of the Nijjar case transpired under the purview of the previous government headed by Jacinda Ardern.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Peters stressed that although information is received — presumably via the Five Eyes — its value and quality are often ambiguous. He underlined the absence of conclusive evidence or findings corroborating the alleged Indian involvement.

The India-Canada ties soured after Trudeau last September publicly said that Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to the June killing of Nijjar. New Delhi strongly rejected the accusations and asked Ottawa to furnish solid proof.

India has maintained this approach right from the beginning and it was collaborative and wanted to deal with the concerns raised by Canada through diplomatic channels.

In an earlier release that announced Peters’ visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said India and New Zealand share warm and friendly relations based on commonalities of democratic traditions and shared values bolstered by strong people-to-people ties.

The two countries are engaging in cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade and economy, defense and security, the MEA said.