Rattled After NIA FIR, Terrorist Pannun Threatens to Picket Air India Flight from Toronto, Vancouver

Banned Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has openly threatened to picket an Air India flight from Vancouver and Toronto in a new video, in which, he is asking Sikhs to not travel by the airline.

Top Indian government sources told News18 that since the threat originated from Canada, it is the responsibility of the Canadian authorities to allow smooth operations of the flight from their land. “Any attack on crew or carrier will be Canadian responsibility and they should assure us in writing,” sources said.

“We will soon approach them (Canada) with new FIR and are hoping they will cooperate with us,” they added.

The NIA has booked the ‘designated’ individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly threatening passengers flying via Air India with a global blockade and closure of operations from November 19.

The authorities stepped up security in Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after a meeting held by the home ministry discussed threats by Pannun.

Pannun has been booked under IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (threatening), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) and sections 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the UAPA.

In the video that surfaced on November 4, the Khalistani terrorist had said, “We are asking the Sikh people not to fly via Air India on November 19. There will be a global blockade. On November 19, don’t travel by Air India or your life will be in danger.”

On November 19, the final match of the Men’s Cricket World Cup was played between India and Australia in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.

Threat messages from Pannun came after a diplomatic stand-off between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.

News18 had reported on October 31 that Pannun is being funded by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Top intelligence sources had said that the numbers he gives out on Khalistani referendums, too, are fabricated.