India Canada Dispute: Canada bans two of five recommended pro-Khalistan groups by India

Canada has banned only Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation, though India has several times urged it to ban five other pro-Khalistan groups that operate on foreign soil though proscribed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Canada's counter terrorism division included BKI and ISYF in the designated terror outfits' list in 2003 and upheld the decision in 2018 even after a review.

India has been urging Canada to ban Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and Khalistan Liberation Force. All of them are banned in India. There are also smaller groups and activists under surveillance, whose details were shared with Canada and the United States, a senior North Block official said.


The Canada Public Safety Act in its designation of BKI said, "BKI is a Sikh terrorist entity that aims to establish a fundamentalist independent Sikh state called Khalistan in what is the Indian state of Punjab. BKI activities include armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings. BKI has members outside India, in Pakistan, North America, Europe, and Scandinavia."

Canada, while upholding the ban on ISYF in 2018, said, "The International Sikh Youth Federation was founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom as an international branch of the All India Sikh Students' Federation, with centres in several countries, including Canada. ISYF is a Sikh organization whose aim is to promote Sikh philosophy and establishment of an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan. Since 1984, its members have been engaged in terrorist attacks, assassinations and bombings primarily against Indian political figures, but also against moderate members of the Sikh community. ISYF collaborates and/or associates with a number of Sikh terrorist organizations, including Babbar Khalsa International."

According to the home ministry, ISYF was first proscribed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on March 22, 2002. As many as 11 pro-Khalistan leaders active in Canada, Pakistan and Europe were designated by MHA under UAPA, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar whose killing in Surrey by unidentified gunmen triggered a row between India and Canada with the latter alleging possible involvement of Indian agents in the killing.

A resident of Jalandhar in Punjab, Nijjar left India in 1997 on fake documents and later became head of banned KTF.