KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)
was formed by Jagtar Singh Tara, a former Babbar Khalsa International
(BKI) militant. Jagtar Singh was involved in the killing of the then Punjab
Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. KTF was formed with the
patronage of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). KTF is one of the four militant groups
besides BKI, KLF and KZF which are being used by ISI to revive violence in
Punjab.
KTF is based out of Pakistan, it
also has its sympathisers in France, Canada and Spain.
KTF is one of Khalistani
militant groups which receive general amount of funding from ISI. KCF ‘chief’ Paramjit
Panjwar's former driver Rattandeep Singh Resham Singh is also a member of KTF. Jagtar
Singh Tara, who was involved in the killing of Beant Singh was arrested in
September 1995. However, he and two other accused escaped from Jail in January
2004 from Chandigarh’s Burail Jail. BKI members Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit
Bheora, co-accused in the Beant Singh killing, and Devi Singh, also escaped with
him. Although Hawara and Paramjit were arrested, Jagtar Singh managed to cross
over to Pakistan. Jagtar Singh later left Pakistan for Thailand on the pretext
of getting married, although his real motive was to establish a training facility
for Khalistani militants in Bangkok. During his stay in Bangkok, he met with ISI
officials, France based KTF militant Purshotam Singh, Spain Jaswinder Singh and
Canada-based pro-Khalistani identified as Hardeep Singh. Jagtar Singh was arrested from Chonburi
Province in Pattaya, Thailand in 2015. During interrogation, he had stated that
ISI had shifted its training base for Khalistani militants from Pakistan to
Thailand. KTF reportedly has some of its sympathisers in Germany and Thailand. KTF has had linkages with Jihadi groups
such as Lashkar e Toiba (LeT). In 2014, KTF and LeT had plotted to airdrop
four LeT militants into Pathankot in Punjab using an air glider. Jagtar Singh
had ordered a glider from Germany. However, the glider developed technical glitches
and the plan was unsuccessful.
KTF has been attempting to carryout
explosions and armed attacks in Punjab. Additionally, they have also tried to target
VIPs and facilitate attacks by Pakistan-based Jihadi elements in Punjab.
UK based: Paramjit Singh based in Birmingham, Baljeet Singh Gill based in London, Sarabjit Singh
residing in London, and Sarabjit Singh Banur based in London,
US based: Kulwant Singh
France based: Parshotam Singh Pamma
Spain based: Jaswinder Singh