Khalistan row | Canada becoming the Pakistan of North America? Int'l Affairs Expert speaks

Amid the escalating India-Canada tussle Pathikrit Payne, International Affairs Expert spoke exclusively to Republic TV and marked issues ranging from domestic concerns to sovereignty, the topics which have garnered significant attention from diplomats, analysts, and business leaders.

Talking to Republic Media Network, Payne said, “Canada is increasingly becoming Pakistan of North America. It is a country which is harbouring all kinds of separationist organisations, which are resorting to extremist violence, which believe in breaking apart other countries. The Canadian administration, in spite of all the information, has not done anything all these years.” 

“Secondly on the issue of the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, there was another killing a few months back. It was about splinter groups of Khalistanis fighting amongst each other," he said. 

"In the case of Nijjar as well…..here is a question that a person who was accused of being involved in acts of terror. As a democratic country, the Canadian administration was supposed to take action against this person, but they did not so. There are reports that this person went to Pakistan for terror- training, this person was using A-47, in Canada for trainings. One wonders how can somebody who was plumber by profession, went to Canada from India….How he can use a banned weapon in Canada. This can’t happen without the support of some certain people in power. So, frankly speaking….Trudeau, as it stands today…. Behaving exactly like his father."

"Let me remind that, in 1980s, Palminder Singh Palmar, who was a prime accused in the bombing of the Kanishk Air India flight….that person’s extradition was prevent by Trudeau’s father. Today, Justin Trudeau is doing exactly what his father did in 1980s. And actually this is creating a lot of problems for Canada….not just from the perspective of geopolitical and diplomatic relations with India, but also with tomorrow. These sort of activities are going to endanger the strategic sovereingty of Canada itself because there is no question of any Khalistan ever being created in India. Sikhs community in this country are extremely respected, they are very patriotic, they have sacrificed their lives for India, whereas when it comes to Khalistani, they are very small groups. They run their own cartels in Canada, they are trying to do all sort of nefarious activities involving crime, syndicates, narcotics trade. But Trudeau has not done anything," he said. 

"The Americans, here are playing a double game….Americans on one hand show that they are strong on all kinds of terror, but when it comes to Khalistani elements, the Americans have not come clean. There is person in America named as Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who is based in United States and is involved in all kind of activities, which cannot be called legal."

'India developing narrative of listening to developing nations more' 

"So, I think, as India progresses, as India emerges as a voice of the global south, by conducting the whole G20, under its presidency in a very successful manner, India is driving the narrative of including the South African union to G20, India is trying to develop the narrative of listening to the developing nation more…..I am sorry to say, but a lot of these developed nations are against this changes, which may be for the betterment of the world, but they don’t want these things to be happening…,'' Payne said.

'Sometimes I feel that all these things are done deliberately to pressurise India, There is no evidence involvement of India with all these elements and the killing, and if these things have happened then its the responsibility of Canadian administration to bring out an evidence, to file an FIR, photographic evidence.''

''They have not done anything….on contrary, United States is itself a country, which went inside Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden, and this is what is called some extraordinary rendition under which they could go to any country and extract any person involved in harming american interest or killing americans. So, I don’t exactly know, under what basis Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State is asking for accountability from India on this issue. Let me be very clear, on the issue of terrorism, these countries are supposed to take action against the Khalistani elements, who are creating trouble for world’s largest democracy, India and the country which successfully become the bright spot on the dark horizon of the economy but also has become voice of the voiceless countries of the world,'' Payne asserted.

"We are the country, which has taken strong stance even against China. As a country, we have taken a stand on various issues, we have given vaccine to the whole world, when no one was giving, So, a country, which is run by law, which is a democratic country, which has strong judicial system, I don’t know what Canada or their allies want from India.''

He further stated, ''We will stand and fight against all kinds of terrorism, it's upto them to decide whether they are against all kinds of terrorism or they are selective when it comes to fight against terrorism," he added.