KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Pakistan 01-Mar-2020
According to Indian intelligence sources, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and its parent body Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) recently honoured pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Gopal Singh Chawla in Pakistan. The sources said that the move showed that Chawla was still an integral part of PSGPC and ETPB, as he was still being honoured by the two bodies. Earlier, Chawla, who is the chairman of Punjabi Sikh Sangat in Pakistan, was removed from PSGPC in 2019, after India had exerted pressure on Pakistan over his links with 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. The move had come as India had refused to sign the agreement on Kartarpur corridor if Chawla continued to be a member of the committee. However, the intelligence source informed that since ISI-controlled ETPB used Chawla for instigating Sikhs and holding anti-India demonstrations in Pakistan, his removal from the two bodies was just a cosmetic change. “But he has always been present during important events at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. He has also been allotted a room at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex, Kartapur Sahib,” said the source.
India 01-Mar-2020
The president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Gobind Singh Longowal sought action against the police officers who are harassing Sikh pilgrims returning back after paying obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. Longowal said that it is a very bad routine which has panicked the pilgrims and it can affect the Kartarpur corridor if it is not stopped immediately. He also said that this practice of Punjab government seems an intentional step to bring the people of Punjab under suspicion due to which they are feeling alienated.
India 02-Mar-2020
Another prime suspect in the recent recovery of 450-kg of narcotic substances, including 197-kg heroin, identified as Sahil Sharma surrendered before the court in Amritsar. The court sent him to jail. Earlier, the STF had confiscated around 450-kg of narcotic substances from a house in Akash Vihar in Sultanwind village on January 31 and arrested six persons.
Pakistan 02-Mar-2020
Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sahibzada Noor-ul-Haq Qadri stated that the work on Kartarpur corridor project phase II would be started soon. The minister, while chairing a ministerial meeting to contemplate the approval of PC1 of Kartarpur project, said that in the second phase hotel and market would be constructed to meet the requirements of international tourism.
India 03-Mar-2020
Police arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Jasvir Singh along with 100 gm of heroin from the outskirts of Rattian village in Moga district.
India 04-Mar-2020
Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) Partap Bajwa alleged shoddy investigations into cases involving drug mafia in Punjab. Bajwa, in a letter to the Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, pointed out that no effort had been made by the Centre or Punjab to take forward the investigations on the basis of report on a police-politician-drug mafia nexus, submitted by the STF led by Harpreet Singh Sidhu.
India 04-Mar-2020
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) and Anti-Narcotics Cell of Sangrur arrested one man, identified as Harbans Singh along with 150 gm of heroin in Sangrur district. According to police, apart from his arrest, police have also registered a case against his two relatives, including Kaka Singh and Salim.
India 05-Mar-2020
The controversial Punjabi singer, Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala approached Akal Takht voluntarily and tendered an apology. Moosewala was recently embroiled in a controversy over repeatedly using objectionable lyrics in his songs.
India 05-Mar-2020
The Tarn Taran blast accused, Massa Singh alias Mandeep Singh alleged that officials of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Central Jail in Amritsar tortured and harassed him in judicial custody. Massa Singh moved an application through his counsel advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur before the special NIA judge Karunesh Kumar in Mohali. Manjhpur said that they had demanded strict action against that the officials concerned.The judge has served a notice to the NIA and the jail authorities to file a reply by March 26.
India 06-Mar-2020
The Barnala police arrested four persons with 40,01,040 intoxicating tablets, capsules and injections worth Rs 4-5 crore in two incidents in Barnala and Mathura. According to Police, interrogation of the main accused, Mittal, who was receiving the drugs at his medical store, had unveiled a chain of supply of psychotropic drugs into Punjab from other states. The accused used to store the contraband in a godown at the Masani bypass in Saraswati Kund in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
India 06-Mar-2020
Dal Khalsa activists entered into a scuffle with members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force over the release of the original version of Nanakshahi calendar from the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar. The calendar carried a photograph of the Kartarpur corridor opening ceremony being addressed by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Later, the Takht secretariat in charge intervened and allowed the Dal Khalsa members to release the calendar from the outside platform of the secretariat.
India 06-Mar-2020
Police arrested three drug smugglers, including a woman, and recovered 21 kg gaanja from their possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district on March 6 evening. The accused had been identified as Bihari migrants Manoj Kumar, Sanjit Kumar and Lalita Rani.
India 06-Mar-2020
Around 3.58 gm heroin was recovered from a prisoner in the Sangrur Central Jail in Sangrur district. Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Amrik Singh said that “Accused Gurjit Singh had been facing trial in an NDPS case. On Friday, when he was taken to the jail after conviction, the head warden seized 3.58-gm heroin from him. We have registered another NDPS case against him
India 08-Mar-2020
Several families that were affected by militancy in Punjab sought an increase in the pension amount. At present, these families are getting Rs 5,000 per month. An NGO, Rashtriya Suraksha Samiti, which took up the cause of victims, has demanded that the monthly pension should be linked with price index. There has been a 15-fold hike even in the price for LPG cylinder over the years, but no hike in pension was granted, Samiti secretary Sita Ram Sharma said. The victim families maintain that the successive governments had failed to provide justice to the militancy-hit people in Punjab. Their demand of suitable compensation had not been met till now, they said.
India 08-Mar-2020
As per data from an official of department concerned, 59,318 pilgrims visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Pakistan, from the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor in November 9 last year to March 8. No considerable surge was witnessed in the footfall of the pilgrims using the corridor, even though India had raised the demand before Pakistan to allow 5,000 pilgrims per day and 10,000 on special occasions. In the opening month, the footfall was 11,192, which increased to 23,383 in December last year. Daily average pilgrims in these months remained 508 and 754, respectively.
India 08-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 2 kg of heroin near the Mohar Sona border outpost in Fazilka district. According to source, on hearing a noise, the BSF troopers launched a search and recovered two plastic bottles buried in the fields across the barbed wire fencing. The bottles were filled with 2 kg of heroin worth Rs10 crore.
India 08-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 4 kg of heroin from New Gazniwala border outpost in Abohar in Fazilka district. The BSF troopers signalled the accused to stop and also opened fire, but the suspects managed to escape. During a search operation, four packets of heroin weighing 4 kg with a market value of Rs 20 crore were recovered.
United Kingdom 08-Mar-2020
British Pakistani and Kashmiri community held a protest outside Indian High Commission in London on March 8 afternoon. The protest was organized by Global Pakistan and Kashmir Supreme Council (UK) and the participants also raised slogans for freedom of Kashmir and Khalistan from Indian subjugation.
Pakistan 08-Mar-2020
Parliamentarian Preneet Kaur paid obeisance at Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan along with more than hundred women on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Preneet Kaur said that Guru Nanak Sahib gave a great status to women in the society which resulted in their empowerment and high respect.
India 09-Mar-2020
A Shiv Sena leader in Punjab, Mahant Kashmir Giri escaped unhurt after two unidentified motorcycle-borne men opened fire at him at his house in Khanna in Ludhiana district in the morning. Giri said that he was raising a voice against pro-Khalistan elements and was getting threat calls from international numbers. Recently, police had provided a gunman to Giri after he complained of receiving threats. However, the policeman deployed for his security was at the temple when shots were fired.