KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
21-Jun-2020
Reacting to Khawaja Saad Rafique’s derogatory statement on Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Pakistani Sikh leader Gopal Singh Chawla said that Khawaja Saad Rafique was trying to earn political mileage and hide his failures by leveling baseless allegations on the great Sikh ruler. Chawla, while recalling the tenure of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, said that no one got capital punishment during his four decades-long regime.
21-Jun-2020
The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Satwant Singh said that, “The words used by the former railway minister are highly objectionable. The Sikh community in Pakistan and the gurdwara management committee strongly condemn these words.”
11-Jun-2020
Due to the covid19 pandemic, this year, the Sikh community in Pakistan will quietly mark the death anniversaries of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Guru Arjan Dev. The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) Secretary-General, Sardar Amir Singh said that “Due to the Covid-19 virus, the Sikh community will mark the death anniversaries of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Guru Arjan Dev in the most simple manner.” According to sources, Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, including India, will not be able to take part in the religious ceremonies to mark the important events on the Nanakshahi Calendar this month.
06-Jun-2020
The pro-Khalistani Sikhs in Pakistan converged at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev,. They extended support to the separatist movement for a Sikh state -Khalistan in India and protested to mark the 36th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. According to sources, prominently among those who were present on the occasion were Pakistan's main Sikh face for such occasions Gopal Singh Chawla, former Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Bishan Singh and PSGPC general secretary Amir Singh. Sources said that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had organised the function and ensured its media coverage, besides it had also assigned duties to the officials of Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB) to facilitate the anti-India demonstration. In a video uploaded on social media, Chawla and Bishan were seen raising slogans against India and in praise of Khalistan. However, PSGPC president Satwant Singh was not seen during anti-India protests at Nankana Sahib. In an attempt to foment the anti-India sentiments, Chawla and Bishan spewed venom against India, and to win over the sympathy of Islamist militant organisations, they raised the issue of Kashmir too.
06-Jun-2020
According to reports, no Sikhs converged at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on the call given by US-based pro-Khalistani group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Sources said that "We have information that attempts are being made to allure poor Paksitani Sikhs with cash rewards for protesting against India. However, none reached Kartarpur Sahib on Saturday morning". The presence of several Sikh youth and some unknown faces during Saturday's protest only confirmed their belief that these were being paid to stage demonstration and raise slogans against India, they claimed.
05-Jun-2020
The US-based Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in a message to Sikhs of Pakistan appealed to them to converge at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on June 6 to perform ardas and also raise slogans for Khalistan. He said that Sikh for Justice (SFJ) would be holding a conference on June 6 to update Sikh community regarding their divisive ‘Referendum 2020’. However, the president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Satwant Singh didn’t comment on Pannun’s call to Sikhs of Pakistan. However, sources didn’t rule out the possibility of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) facilitating a video conference between Sikh militants of Pakistan and those abroad. “There is likelihood of forging of new ties especially SFJ exhorting Pakistani Sikhs to hold anti-India protest at Kartarpur and we are of view that Pakistan’s Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla will be playing a key role,” said sources.
04-Jun-2020
The Jammu and Kashmir Youth Social Forum (JKYSF) leader, Angad Singh paid tributes to all Sikh leaders and Sikh Sangat pilgrims who were killed in Indian Army’s Operation Blue Star in Golden temple in June 1984, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He said that “We in Kashmir remember this day as black day. Also, this day is a proof of Sikh and Muslim brotherhood right from Kashmir to Punjab and all over the world.”
06-May-2020
The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in Pakistan is now in action to expel the pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla from the ‘Punjabi Sikh Sangat’. Earlier, he was also expelled from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC). Notably, the ETPB had constituted ‘Punjabi Sikh Sangat’ to look after the religious activities in the Sikh shrines of Pakistan and Gopal Singh Chawla was appointed as a chairman of this body. According to report, the ETPB has started cornering Gopal Singh Chawla after he illegally occupied a piece of land managed by ETPB. An FIR was registered against Gopal Singh Chawla under sections 447/511 in Nankana Sahib police station on the complaint of revenue officer Asif Chadar. Sources also revealed that Gopal Singh Chawla might resign from the chairmanship of ‘Punjabi Sikh Sangat’ on May 7. It has also come to fore that the ETPB has not even credited Gopal Singh Chawla’s monthly salary worth Rupees 30,000.
06-May-2020
The Pak-based pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla accused that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) officials are going to remove him from the chairmanship of “Punjabi Sikh Sangat” under a conspiracy.
18-Apr-2020
Domes of the newly renovated Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara was collapsed due to a thunderstorm and high-speed winds in the area of the holy site's location in Punjab in Pakistan. According to reports, the domes were allegedly not even constructed with cement and iron but with plaster-of-paris material. After the embarrassing incident, the Sikh community has expressed disappointment with the way construction was done in Pakistan
13-Apr-2020
Pakistan extended the duration of the closure of the Wagah border and the Kartarpur Corridor along the International Border with India for two weeks amid the Coronavirus pandemic. The Kartarpur Corridor will be sealed till April 24 while the Wagah crossing will be closed from April 16 to April 29.
09-Apr-2020
The Pakistan government asked Afghanistan to hand over the recently arrested Islamic State terrorist, responsible for the deadly terror attack on Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul to Pakistan. According to the sources, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, asking for Aslam Farooqi's custody. Afghan security forces on April 5 had arrested Farooqi involved in the massacre of around 27 Sikhs in a terror attack on a Gurudwara in Kabul on March 25. As per an official statement, Islamabad sought Farooqi's custody for investigation because he is allegedly involved in anti-Pakistan activities in Afghanistan.
07-Apr-2020
Sikh community in Pakistan has shut down Gurdwaras in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province after the provincial government banned gathering of more than five people for worship in religious places to stop the spread of the coronavirus which has infected nearly 4,000 people and killed 55 in the country.
07-Apr-2020
Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) deputy secretary shrines, Imran Gondal said that a meeting of the ETPB and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbadhank Committee (PSGPC) unanimously decided that there would be no Baisakhi celebrations at the shrine in Hassanabdal city this year and the scheduled visits of Sikh pilgrims has been cancelled. The Baisakhi celebrations scheduled to begin on April 14 at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Punjab province, in which 3,000 Sikhs from India and 2,000 from elsewhere were to participate.
06-Apr-2020
Pakistani authorities cancelled the Baisakhi celebrations at Gurudwara Panja Sahib in Punjab province from April 14, in which around 3,000 Sikhs from India were to participate, due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
31-Mar-2020
A mob of Islamist radicals attacked the Sikh Gurudwara in Nankana Sahib (in Punjab, Pakistan) to avenge the arrest of a Muslim man who had kidnapped and converted a Sikh girl to Islam. The crowd gathered in front of the main entrance of the Nankana Sahib Gurudwara and pelted stones at the Gurudwara in the evening. The extremists also threatened to eliminate every single Sikh faithful from the city and announced that they have renamed the location with an Islamic name.
30-Mar-2020
Pakistani pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla said that land in Nankana Sahib belonging to Guru Nanak Dev was being grabbed by the rich by paying money and there was collusion by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) of Pakistan. Chawla in a video said that atrocities were being committed and complaints about the misuse of land, registered in the name Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan's Punjab province, have fallen on deaf ears of authorities. He said that ETPB of Pakistan has been aiding and shielding rich people who have encroached the land of Gurudwara Nankana Sahib. Chawla alleged that ETPB chairman Aamer Ahmed has been colluding with the land grabbers. "I had made a humble request that in Nankana Sahib there is full loot (of land) and I had given proof to Aamer sahib that a lot of atrocities are taking place. Rich people who can give Rs 2 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, they are getting their houses made and the poor who have to build on two marla, three marla, there is no law for them," he said.
23-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 4.27 kg of heroin from an area close to the border outpost Bareke along the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur district. According to officials, the consignment was stored in four plastic bottles and a China-made pistol was also seized along with the contraband.
14-Mar-2020
The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) released its “original version” of Nanakshahi calendar, which was introduced in 2003, at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. The PSGPC president Satwant Singh said that, “The original version of the calendar symbolises distinct identity of the Sikhs. We request Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to ensure unity in the Panth, which is divided over the calendar issue. The calendar implemented in 2003 by the then Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti should be followed for this purpose.”
13-Mar-2020
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee and announced series of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, including a ban on Pakistani nationals from travelling via the Kartarpur Corridor. Indian pilgrims will, however, be allowed to use the corridor.