How dangerous is Pannun? A look at the Khalistan terrorist's many threats to India

A day after the Centre set up a high-level probe into allegations that an Indian official was involved in a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief has taken a fresh shot at the Government of India. News18 quoted Pannun as saying “India will kill me, but I don’t fear death.” “The only thing, I think, (the) Indian government is going to investigate (is) why their hitman could not kill one person. That’s what they will be investigating,” he said. Pannun also rejected India labelling him a terrorist. “We are the ones who are fighting India’s violence with words. We are fighting India’s bullets with the ballot. They are giving money, hundreds of thousands, to kill me. Let the world decide who is a terrorist and who isn’t,” Pannun claimed. This isn’t the first time the leader of the US-based Sikh separatist group – who was designated a terrorist in India under UAPA in 2020 – has made such threats. Let’s take a closer look: Threatens Air India Pannun in November threatened to not let Air India – India’s flagship carrier – to operate anywhere in the world.

He also warned Air India passengers that their lives were in danger.

“Pannun threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate in the world … in his video messages, released on 4 November,” the NIA said. Air India was previously targeted by Sikh militants who were blamed for a bombing in 1985 of its Boeing 747 aircraft flying from Canada to India that killed all 329 people aboard off the Irish coast. Pannun has also previously threatened to disrupt railways and thermal power plants in India, the agency added. Pannun told Reuters in an emailed response that his message was to “boycott Air India not bomb” and that the Indian government was engaging in a disinformation tactic to “crush freedom of expression”. He added that the “government cannot stop SFJ from running secessionist Khalistan referendum, which is the real motive why NIA filed frivolous terror case.” Warns of ‘Hamas-like attack’ Pannun in October warned India of a ‘Hamas-like attack’. “People under illegal occupation from Punjab to Palestine will react. And violence begets violence,” Pannun was quoted as saying by Business Today. Pannun claimed that if India continues to “occupy” Punjab, there will be a “reaction” and that “India and PM Modi will be responsible for it”. Pannun claimed that “the liberation of Punjab is on the cards.”

“India, choice is yours. Ballot or bullet,” he added.

Pannun also threatened to disturb the 2023 Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan. “Pro Khalistan Sikhs from Canada are in Delhi to avenge the assassination of Shaheed Najjar,” Pannun was quoted as saying in purported clips published on social media. He also threatened to shut down the World Cup final in Ahmedabad. “Also, on 19th November, the global Sikh community is going to boycott Air India from Ahmedabad airport, Amritsar and Delhi. Shut down these airports, (on) 19th November, boycott Air India,” he was quoted as saying by The Times of India. ‘Indo-Hindus leave Canada’ In September, as the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) – caused tension to ratchet up between India and Canada, Pannun attempted to fan the flames even further by threatening Hindus living in Canada. Pannun in a video said, “Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs.”

Mr. @JustinTrudeau your beloved #SikhsForJustice gave open threat to Indian Hindus to leave #Canada.
If you think you'll win by gaining #Sikh votes, you're highly mistaken. Your frustation is evident, You cannot fool your citizens for long. pic.twitter.com/86B8pdCptY

— Sukhman Randhawa (@sukh_randhawa14) September 19, 2023

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“You are supporting violence by celebrating the assassination of Shaheed Nijjar,” Pannun added. He also urged Canadian Sikhs to vote in a so-called referendum in Vancouver on 29 October. Top Canadian officials condemned the threat but did not mention Pannun by name. Threatens Modi, Shah, Jaishankar, Doval As per Mint, Pannun threatened India’s top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in September. Pannun, speaking at an event in Vancouver’s Surrey, vowed, “Delhi will become Khalistan." “This is a message to those who assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar. We are calling for your critical death…(PM) Modi, Jaishankar, (Ajit) Doval, (Amit) Shah, we are coming for you," Pannun purportedly said in the video. Urges Muslims to ‘disrupt’ G2O, offers reward for raising Khalistani flag As per Mint, Pannun also in September urged Kashmiri Muslims living in the Valley to travel to Delhi for the G20 and and “create disturbances.” Pannun called for Kashmiri Muslims to march to Pragati Maidan after Friday prayers and also promised to raise the Khalistani flag at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

Pannun is said to have offered a $2.5 million reward to anyone able to raise the Khalistani flag at India Gate.

He also offered a million dollars to any policeman who halted the Indian flag from being raised at the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2021. In 2018, Pannun in London announced a “Referendum 2020”. Pannun claimed this would be held “to liberate Punjab that’s currently occupied by India”. India in 2019 banned the SFJ as an “unlawful association” citing its “anti-national and subversive” activities. India said Pannun was issuing appeals to “Punjab-based gangsters and youth” to fight for Khalistan. The Centre in a 10 July, 2019, notification had deemed the group unlawful under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Government of India, banning the SFJ for five years, said its primary objective was to establish an “independent and sovereign country” in Punjab. The Centre added that the SFJ openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process, challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. This was later upheld by an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act tribunal headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel. The interior ministry said that year that Pannun, originally from a village in Punjab, was residing in the United States. Media said he has citizenship of US and Canada. Interpol has rejected two requests by India to issue a red corner notice against him. The SFJ says it has offices in Britain, Canada and U.S. It calls itself “an international advocacy and human rights group with the express intent of achieving self-determination for the Sikh people in their historic homeland in the region of Indian-held Punjab and establishing a sovereign state, popularly known as Khalistan”. With inputs from agencies