KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-May-2025
After its failed military attempt, Pakistan launched a propaganda campaign on May 10, led by Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, falsely claiming India fired missiles from Adampur targeting Amritsar and the Golden Temple. These baseless allegations were disproved by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s visit to the Adampur Indian Air Force (IAF) base and satellite imagery. Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) echoed the false claims, exposing a coordinated disinformation effort. Pakistan’s outdated strategy is now thoroughly exposed and ineffective.
08-May-2025
Pakistani military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, while addressing the media in Rawalpindi on May 8, falsely claimed that an Indian drone had targeted Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab province. The Indian government dismissed the allegation as propaganda, noting that it is Pakistan that has bombed Sikh religious sites—including a gurdwara in Poonch (Jammu & Kashmir) and carried out strikes on Amritsar. Sources said the disinformation aims to deflect blame from Pakistan’s own attacks on Sikh civilians and gurdwaras.
25-Apr-2025
On April 25, Pakistan ordered all Indian nationals—except Sikh pilgrims—to leave the country within 48 hours amid rising bilateral tensions. The exemption, granted during Khalsa Foundation Day celebrations, drew attention as over 7,000 visas were issued for Sikh pilgrims, significantly exceeding the annual quota under the Nehru-Liaquat Pact. The directive was formally communicated to India through diplomatic channels and is being viewed as a strategic response to India’s 'provocative actions.
14-Apr-2025
Thousands of Sikhs, including over 6,700 from India, celebrated Baisakhi on April 14 at Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. Pilgrims expressed deep emotional satisfaction upon visiting their sacred sites and lauded the arrangements and hospitality extended during the celebrations.
08-Apr-2025
The Pakistani government recently issued over 6,700 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for the Baisakhi festival, marking the first time in 50 years that the number has exceeded the limit set between the two countries. According to the 1974 Pakistan-India Religious Protocol Agreement, only 3,000 Sikh pilgrims are typically allowed per festival, but Pakistan granted 6,751 visas on special request. The main Baisakhi ceremony will take place on April 14 at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib, instead of Gurdwara Panja Sahib, due to the larger expected turnout. Sikh pilgrims are scheduled to arrive via the Wagah Border on April 10 and will return on April 19.
24-Mar-2025
Wanted Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant Mehal Singh Babbar died of kidney failure at a private hospital in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, on March 24. A proclaimed offender since 1990, he was accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of coordinating with gangsters and supplying weapons from Pakistan to India. A former Indian Air Force officer and deputy chief of BKI, Babbar had been living in Pakistan since the early 1990s. He was the brother of Sukhdev Singh Babbar, the 1984 head of BKI, who was killed in 1992.
12-Mar-2025
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on March 12 accused India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), of orchestrating the deadly attack on a passenger train in Balochistan, Pakistan. He alleged that India is waging a covert war against Pakistan and called for international action against Indian officials. Pannun further warned that failure to hold India accountable could result in more such attacks in the future.
06-Mar-2025
Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025 due to a sharp rise in terror attacks and civilian casualties, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The report highlighted a 45% surge in attacks during 2024, with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) emerging as the deadliest group. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the worst-affected regions, accounting for over 96% of attacks and fatalities.
05-Mar-2025
Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla hurled abuses at the Pakistani police on March 5 for preventing his guest from crossing a checkpoint outside Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, in Nankana Sahib, Punjab province, Pakistan. In a viral video, Chawla was seen threatening a Pakistani police officer and claiming he would contact top Pakistan Army officials. His guest was reportedly stopped for security checks but was later allowed to enter the gurdwara. Chawla, a former chief of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, has been linked to the 2018 Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack in Amritsar.
01-Mar-2025
Pakistan’s Punjab Police Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on March 1 revealed the arrest of 20 terrorists, including a Sikh identified as Manmohan Singh, allegedly linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Lahore, Punjab Province. The police also disclosed the identities of two other arrested individuals, Naqeebullah and Riyaz.
12-Feb-2025
The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) backed the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee’s (DSGMC) call for a Sarbat Khalsa (global Sikh assembly) following the removal of Giani Harpreet Singh as Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib and offered to host the gathering at Guru Nanak Dev’s birthplace in Nankana Sahib, Punjab Province, Pakistan. PSGPC member Bishan Singh and DSGMC President Harmeet Singh emphasized the need for Sarbat Khalsa to address key Sikh religious matters.
11-Feb-2025
Sunny Singh, President of Gurdwara Saragarhi Singh Sabha, on February 11 announced that for the first time in Pakistan, a Sikh gurdwara in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, would offer Quran lessons to Muslim children alongside school education. The decision was made to address the difficulties Muslim children face in traveling to madrassas. A Quran-e-Hafiz (Quran teacher) has been appointed, and classes will commence soon. The school also provides vocational training, including sewing and computer courses.
17-Jan-2025
The Lahore High Court in Pakistan on January 17 dismissed a petition filed by the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation seeking to rename Shadman Chowk in Lahore after independence hero Bhagat Singh and install his statue there. The petition aimed to honor Bhagat Singh at the site where he was hanged 94 years ago, but the court rejected the plea, halting the proposed commemoration efforts.
08-Jan-2025
Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan Chairman Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi sent a legal notice on January 8 to Tariq Majeed, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore and a retired Pakistan armed forces veteran, demanding INR 50 crore in damages and an unconditional apology. The notice accuses Majeed of defaming Qureshi by alleging he received foreign funding and labeling freedom fighter Bhagat Singh as a "criminal." Qureshi, described in the notice as a patriot working to improve India-Pakistan relations, denied taking foreign funds and referenced Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's praise for Bhagat Singh to refute Majeed's remarks.
07-Jan-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on January 7 congratulated Pakistan on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pannun urged Pakistan to support the Sikh community's demand for Khalistan, drawing parallels to Pakistan’s advocacy for Kashmir’s self-determination. He claimed that Pakistan's UNSC position could amplify global dialogue on self-determination and commended its stance on Kashmir as a precedent.
31-Dec-2024
A report by The Washington Post on December 31 alleged that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has carried out a covert assassination program targeting six individuals in Pakistan since 2021. The operations reportedly relied on local intermediaries and informal financial networks to maintain deniability. While the missions in Pakistan were deemed successful, similar attempts in Western nations, including on Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, were reportedly thwarted by advanced counterintelligence measures. The report drew comparisons between RAW's tactics and those of Israel's Mossad, amid public accusations from Pakistan and consistent denials by India.
24-Dec-2024
The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), a pro-Khalistan militant organization led by Ranjeet Singh alias Neeta, operates in coordination with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to pursue its goal of establishing a sovereign Khalistan state. Banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and in the European Union, KZF has been involved in attacks on public transport, police facilities, and religious leaders in India and abroad. Neeta, declared a terrorist in 2020, is linked to cross-border arms smuggling and faces an Interpol Red Corner Notice.
06-Dec-2024
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on December 6 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Sikh journalist Harmeet Singh, accusing him of spreading misleading propaganda against state institutions. The FIR alleges that his posts covering the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests incited violence and terrorism. Harmeet has denied the accusations, citing a lack of evidence and claiming he is being targeted as a minority journalist.
14-Nov-2024
Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Secretary Fareed Iqbal, Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar, and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Ramesh Singh Arora on November 14 welcomed over 2,550 Sikh pilgrims from India at the Wagah Border. The pilgrims arrived in Pakistan to participate in the festivities celebrating the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, with the main event scheduled at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.
10-Nov-2024
According to intelligence sources, the financially struggling Pakistan government has directed the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) to centralise all religious donations ahead of the 555th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev. As part of this move, the PSGPC has reportedly removed donation boxes and billboards from other Sikh organizations, including karsewa groups, at prominent gurdwaras like Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Punjab Sahib, ensuring that all donations are now routed through PSGPC-designated boxes.