Key Points

The agency's latest report categorically states: "Khalistani extremists continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India."

This revelation, part of CSIS's latest annual report, has reignited concerns about foreign interference and extremist activity within Canada, particularly in the context of its sensitive diplomatic relationship with India.

Since several years India has been raising concerns over Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil, but Canada had largely turned a blind eye towards this issue.

However, now Canada's own intelligence security has confirmed what New Delhi has long maintained -- Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements.

Even more telling — this is the first time the term "extremism" has been officially used by Canada in relation to Khalistanis.

Since the mid-1980s, the politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE) threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to use and support violent means to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab in India.

PMVE encourages the use of violence to establish new political systems or new structures or norms within existing systems. PMVE actors engage in the planning, financing and facilitating of attacks, globally, in order to establish new political systems or entities.

While there were no CBKE-related attacks in Canada in 2024, ongoing involvement in violent activities by CBKES continue to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests.

CSIS investigates activities that fall within the definition of threats to the security of Canada, as outlined in the CSIS Act.

In a parallel revelation, the CSIS and the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) have raised alarms about Pakistan's involvement in foreign interference within Canada. A May 2024 initial report by the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference (PIFI), and NSICOP's June 2024 Special Report, both identified Pakistan as a state actor that attempted to influence Canada's democratic institutions.

There is a long history of India arguing that Canada is a haven for 'anti-India' activity, with the separatist Khalistan movement being a particular focus of India's concern, which is rooted in the aftermath of the 1985 Air India bombing and subsequent terrorist activity in India.

The government of Canada's investigation into the 2023 killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar continued in 2024.

Four individuals were arrested in May 2024 in connection with Nijjar's killing and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

These revelations by CSIS come just as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney met for the first time in person at the G7 summit in Canada. Their meeting marked an important step toward mending strained diplomatic relations that had deteriorated following the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in 2023.

According to official statements, both leaders agreed to appoint new High Commissioners and resume long-stalled trade negotiations. The talks, which took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit, emphasised a commitment to "constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities," as per New Delhi's statement.

- IANS