How Pakistan is trying desperately to use Khalistanis to create confusion and chaos after India launches Operation Sindoor
On the intervening night of 9th and 10th May, India retaliated to the drone and missile attacks by Pakistan amidst ongoing tension between the two countries. As per reports, India hit three of Pakistan’s air bases, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Murid in Chakwal, and Rafiqui in Jhang district of Punjab province. Following India’s retaliation, Pakistan’s military spokesperson (ISPR DG), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, claimed that India launched six ballistic missiles from Adampur base, out of which one hit Adampur and five hit Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs.
The aim of making the baseless claim is to instigate pro-Khalistani and anti-India members of the Sikh community so that they side with Pakistan in the ongoing tension.
In his statement, Chaudhry said, “I have shocking news to share. India has just fired six ballistic missiles from Adampur. One of these ballistic missiles has hit Adampur itself, while the remaining five missiles have hit the Amritsar area in Indian Punjab.”
The baseless claim came at a time when tension between India and Pakistan is at its peak. While Pakistan has repeatedly tried to attack India with swarm drones and ballistic missiles, failing to inflict major damage, India has not only demolished terror camps operating in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and inside Pakistani territory, but also hit its military installations after Pakistan escalated the attack and reportedly tried to hit the national capital, New Delhi with its ballistic missile, Fateh II. The missile was shot down over Sirsa, Haryana. Soon after, India demonstrated the might of its military capabilities and struck crucial air bases in Pakistan.
Notably, Punjab is one of the most crucial and sensitive border states of India, sharing a long and volatile frontier with Pakistan. Over the decades, Pakistan has repeatedly attempted to destabilise the state through various means, including supporting cross-border terrorism, fuelling separatist movements such as the Khalistan insurgency, and facilitating drug and arms smuggling networks. These continuous efforts are aimed at disrupting peace and communal harmony in Punjab and, by extension, creating wider instability within India.
Not only Pakistan’s government and military personnel, but cricketers are also attempting to create chaos among Sikhs in India. Mohammad Yousuf, former Pakistani cricketer and coach of the Pakistani cricket team, wrote on X, “The RSS-backed Indian government BJP is nothing short of a terrorist entity—spreading fear among its neighbours, oppressing its own citizens, particularly Sikhs and Muslims, and orchestrating false flag attacks to advance its agenda. We are a proud nation, steadfast in our support for our courageous armed forces. May Allah protect and guide us all,” specifically claiming that India is oppressing Sikhs and Muslims.” Yousuf was born Christian and converted to Islam in 2005.
Source: X
Khalistani terrorists side with Pakistan
The aim of Pakistan is to create chaos within the Sikh community. Notably, Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has openly stated in an interview with a Pakistani channel that Sikhs living in Punjab would not allow Indian forces to launch an attack on Pakistan via the India-Pakistan border in the state. He further claimed, however, that this would only happen if Pakistan supports the demand for Khalistan, a separate Sikh nation.
Pakistan has long supported Khalistani movement and following crackdown on pro-Khalistani Sikhs and Khalistani terrorists, several of them escaped to Pakistan. Notably, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in an apparent gang war in Canada, had visited Pakistan to meet Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Tara in 2013 who is a convict in Beant Singh murder case. Tara was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in Beant Singh murder case. In 2004, he dug up a tunnel and escaped from the jail. He ended up in Pakistan where he had lived since then.
In September 2022, co-founder of the terrorist outfit Dal Khalsa, Gajinder Singh, was spotted in Pakistan. Gajinder was behind the 1981 Indian Airlines hijacking. He was seen in a photograph in front of Gurdwara Shri Panja Sahib, located in Hasan Abdal of Punjab province in Pakistan. Gajinder Singh and his associates had hijacked an Indian Airlines flight in 1981, demanding the release of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and USD 500,000. They diverted the Amritsar-bound flight from Delhi to Lahore, Pakistan.
Pakistan conducted a trial in the case and sentenced the hijackers to life imprisonment. However, in October 1994, they were released from prison. Gajinder Singh has been on India’s most wanted list since 2002. The Government of India has repeatedly tabled official requests to Pakistan to deport Gajinder Singh, but the neighbouring country has consistently denied that he resides in Pakistan.
Pakistan tried to instigate Sikhs claiming India hit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in 1971
In the past as well, Pakistan has attempted to use Sikhs to create wider instability within India. For example, in July 2020, the Kartarpur Corridor was opened for Indian pilgrims to travel without visas to Pakistan to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, the place where Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism, spent his final years. A day after the opening of the corridor, Pakistani authorities put up an exhibit featuring a small bomb that they claimed the Indian Air Force had dropped at the Gurdwara during the 1971 war. The bomb was placed within a glass case and a board was erected next to the pillar that read, “Miracle of Waheguru Ji.”
The board further claimed that during 1971, the IAF had dropped the bomb at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Sri Kartarpur Sahib with the aim of destroying it. However, “this evil design could not be materialised due to the blessing of Waheguru Ji (Almighty Allah). The said bomb landed into Sri Khoo Sahib (Sacred Well) and this Darbar Sahib remained unhurt (sic). It is pertinent to mention that this is the same sacred well from where Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji used to get water to irrigate his fields.”
The latest attempts by Pakistan to provoke and manipulate the Sikh community through misinformation and the sheltering of Khalistani extremists reflect a dangerous pattern of exploiting religious sentiments for geopolitical gain. Despite decades of failed attempts to destabilise India through such means, Pakistan continues to rely on these tactics in a desperate bid to create confusion and weaken India’s internal harmony, especially in times of heightened conflict.
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