India Today – India summons Pakistan diplomat over attacks on Sikhs, seeks probe.

Geeta Mohan

New Delhi- India 27 June 2023. India summoned an official from the Pakistan High Commission to lodge a protest against recent attacks on the Sikh community in Pakistan, according to sources.

India summoned a senior diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission and lodged a strong protest against the recent attacks on the Sikh community in Pakistan, sources told India Today.

New Delhi took “serious” note of the four attacks that have been reported between April and June this year, sources said.

The government asked Pakistani authorities to “sincerely” probe into the attacks on the Sikh community and share the report.

The Pakistani officials were also asked to ensure the safety and security of minorities, who live in constant fear of religious persecution.

On Friday (23 June), a Sikh trader, Tarlok Singh, sustained bullet wounds in his leg after being shot at by unidentified men. In a second attack on 24 June, another Sikh man was shot dead by unidentified men. Both these attacks took place in Pakistan’s Peshawar.

The police believed that the two attacks on Sikh men in Peshawar may be target killings, but the real facts have to be established after a thorough probe. Meanwhile, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has been investigating the armed attack on Tarlok Singh.

About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood.

There have been several incidents of attacks on the Sikh community residing in Peshawar. A Sikh businessman was shot dead in the city by unknown assailants in March. In September last year, a Sikh Hakeem was gunned down by unidentified assailants inside his clinic in Peshawar.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-summons-pakistani-official-to-seek-probe-into-attacks-on-sikhs-sources-2398394-2023-06-27

Toronto Star – Who killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar? Those close to Sikh leader accuse Indian government of involvement

Nijjar was shot the evening of June 18 while leaving the Guru Nanak Sikh gurdwara where he served as president in Surrey. Two masked assailants fled the scene, and although investigators have not established a motive, many in the Sikh community suspect the Indian government may have been involved.

Joanna Chiu Staff Reporter

Surrey – British Columbia – Canada, 26 June 26 2023. “We will not be silenced,” chanted several hundred protesters outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Saturday, waving signs with the face of murdered B.C. Sikh Gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar and calling him a martyr for advocating for the right to self-determination for his people.

Protesters mostly wore orange turbans, a colour representing rebirth and sacrifice, and carried large yellow flags displaying the word “Khalistan,” as many stepped on an Indian flag they brought to the demonstration.

Nijjar was alone in his truck when he was shot the evening of June 18 while leaving the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where he served as president in the populous Metro Vancouver city of Surrey. Two masked assailants fled the scene, and although investigators have not established a motive, many in the Sikh community think the Indian government may have been involved.

Over the weekend, Sikhs travelled from all over the country and as far away as New York to attend the protest, with thousands more following Nijjar’s funeral procession in Surrey on Sunday.

“I came from Sacramento, California to pay tribute to our Sikh leader and martyr who advocated for Khalistan,” protester Bobby Singh told the Star.

“A Sikh community leader being assassinated in broad daylight put fears into public. But our (belief) is that you can kill a revolutionary but you can’t kill the revolution,” he said.

While police have acknowledged that there is fear and speculation stemming from the attack, investigators told media they have not linked the shooting to foreign interference and there is no reason to believe the Sikh community in Canada is at risk.

The fact that so many think the Indian state could be responsible for the killing of a Canadian religious leader and plumber reflects the extent to which some in the Sikh international diaspora feel they are being unfairly vilified by the Indian government, amid worsening human rights conditions for religious minorities in the country, observers say.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/06/26/who-killed-hardeep-singh-nijjar-protests-at-indian-consulate-in-vancouver-after-killing-of-sikh-leader.html

The Tribune – Gurdwara Bill sent for Governor’s nod

Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill also forwarded

Chandigarh – Panjab – India, The Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Vidhan Sabha during its two-day special session last week, has been sent to the Governor for his approval. The Bill relates to the broadcast of Gurbani from Harmandr Sahib by a particular channel.

The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill regarding the appointment of the state DGP has also been sent to the Governor.

Sources told The Tribune that the two other Bills passed by the Assembly — the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Protection of Services) Amendment Bill and the Punjab University Laws Amendment Bill — have not been sent to the Governor yet.

Through the latter Bill, the posts of chancellor of state universities is to be handed over to the CM. The Bill would reduce powers of the Governor. These Bills would be sent for approval soon, a senior officer said.

Governor Banwarilal Purohit has already said that he would get the Bills examined for their constitutional validity before taking any decision. The ball is now in the Governor’s court and it needs to be seen whether he approves the Bills, keeps his decision pending, or sends these back to the state government.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami has also met and appealed to the Governor not to approve the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill.

The SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) claimed the Bill was a direct interference of the government into Sikh affairs.

The Aam Aadmi Party, however, has remained steadfast in its assertion that all channels should get the right to broadcast Gurbani from Harmandr Sahib.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/gurdwara-bill-sent-for-governors-nod-520756

The Nation – Firing Along LOC

Islamabad – Pakistan, 26 June 2023. On Saturday, the Indian Army resorted to unprovoked firing on a group of shepherds along the Line of Control (LoC), in a first known ceasefire violation incident since February 2021 when the two countries renewed their truce in the disputed region.

This is a concerning development and it is tragic to see how innocent civilians were killed by this senseless act of the Indian Army.

As per reports, two civilians embraced martyrdom while one other was critically injured after the Indian Army opened fire on a group of shepherds in Sattwal sector along the Line of Control (LoC).

This is just another manifestation of the Indian Army’s usual inhumane approach towards innocent Kashmiris. Islamabad on its part immediately registered a strongly worded protest, and has made it clear that Pakistan reserves the right to respond back in manner of its choosing to protect Kashmiri lives in the LOC belt.

Further, the ISPR also rightly reminded the Indian side to respect the basic human rights of Kashmiris, particularly, their inalienable right to till their lands.

Not only is this incident a clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, reaffirmed in February 2021, the targeting of civilians is contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws.

It took a lot of effort to renew the ceasefire in 2021 after back channel talks, and such incidents threaten to do away with the little progress the two countries have made towards normalising relations.

India must furnish an explanation for this incident, and established mechanisms at the LoC should be relied upon instead of resorting to such measures.

The hope is that hostilities are kept at bay and that sanity prevails. There are concerns in some corridors that India’s growing security alliance with the US will further enable New Delhi’s belligerent tactics that the international community has turned a blind eye towards.

This is still conjecture at this point in time, and the focus between the two sides should be on avoiding any confrontation at the very least, given there appears to be little room for improving bilateral relations in the current climate.

https://www.nation.com.pk/26-Jun-2023/firing-along-loc

The News – Pakistan political parties unanimously reject US-India joint statement

Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Pakistanis are hurt by Joe Biden’s meeting with Narendra Modi

Arfa Feroz Zake & Web Desk

Islamabad – Pakistan, 24 June 2023. The political parties of the country have unanimously rejected the US-India rhetoric in a joint statement issued after a meeting between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging Islamabad to act against extremist groups.

Reacting to it, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday criticised the “unwarranted, misleading” statement, saying that it had “no mention of the human rights violations” taking place in India.

Qureshi’s statement comes a day after his successor, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari advised big powers not to make “terrorism a victim of geopolitics”.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman spoke about the matter during an address to the National Assembly on Friday. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also took exception to the joint statement and said that Pakistan today is paying a heavy price for serving as a frontline state in the two Afghan wars.

Today, while speaking to media outside an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad, Qureshi said that Pakistanis had been hurt by Biden’s meeting with Modi, who visited Washington in an apparent bid to further India’s agenda against its neighbours.

The PTI leader, who had served as a foreign minister twice, regretted that the US-India statement did not have any word on the human rights violations committed by New Delhi.

“No voice has been raised on the oppression against Muslims in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” Qureshi said.

He condemned that all human rights associations remain silent on the matter.

On Friday, Bilawal told parliamentarians that he believes it is “important for Pakistan to stay away from world politics and focus on itself”.

“I don’t believe there is any reason for Pakistan to be insecure about its relationship with the world or its bilateral partnership with America as a result of increasingly close cooperation between the US and India,” the foreign minister said. He added that Pakistan was standing on its own feet yesterday and is still standing today.

In a rebuke to India on the inclusion of Pakistan’s name in the statement, the foreign minister expressed concern that ever since he took charge and departure of the world from Afghanistan, terrorism has been on the back burner, and Ukraine is the main issue.

“No one is focused on terrorism. It is very easy to add that “there should be work on terrorism” in your statement.”

Earlier, Asif, who is a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said that “terrorism entered Pakistan because it acted as an ally of the United States in the war on terrorism.”

The Foreign Office (FO) also termed the joint US-India statement “misleading and unwarranted”, saying that the “reference is contrary to diplomatic norms and has political overtones”.

In the joint statement, Joe Biden and Narendra Modi urged Pakistan to take steps against “cross border terrorism” and make sure that its soil is not being used in “launching terror attacks”.

The two leaders called for action against extremist groups allegedly based in Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

“They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” the 58-point statement issued by the White House read.

Biden and Modi also reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda, Daesh and Hizbul Mujahideen.

They stressed bringing the perpetrators of attacks, including the bloody 2008 siege of Mumbai and the Pathankot incidents.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1084048-pakistan-political-parties-unanimously-reject-us-india-joint-statement

Scroll.in – Difficult to be part of Opposition alliance if Congress refuses to denounce Centre’s ordinance: AAP

The Mallikarjun Kharge-led party has not made it stance clear on the ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.

Scroll Staff

New Delhi – India, 23 June 2023. The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday criticised the Congress for not taking a stand on the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.

The Centre had promulgated the ordinance on 19 May to create the National Capital Civil Service Authority in order to administer the transfer and posting of bureaucrats serving the Delhi government.

The ordinance nullified a Supreme Court verdict passed on 11 May stating that the Aam Aadmi Party government in the national capital has legislative power over bureaucrats in all departments other than public order, police and land.

In a statement on Friday, the Aam Aadmi Party said the Congress has refused to take a stand on the
“black ordinance” and that its units in Punjab and Delhi have announced that the outfit should support the Centre on the issue.

“Congress’ hesitation and refusal to act as a team player, especially on an issue as important as this one, would make it very difficult for the AAP to be a part of any alliance that includes Congress,” it said.

“Until the Congress publicly denounces the black ordinance and declares that all 31 of its RS [Rajya Sabha] MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant.”

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party also said that 11 parties who attended the Opposition meeting in Patna on Friday have expressed their stand against the Centre’s ordinance.

Earlier in the day, 17 parties had attended the meeting meant to form an anti-Bhartiya Janata Party front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They have decided to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together. Another meeting, likely on July 11 or July 12, will be held in Shimla to chalk out details of the plan of action.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s statement said that the Congress’ silence on the Centre’s ordinance raises suspicions about its real intentions.

“In personal discussions, senior Congress leaders have hinted that their party might informally or formally abstain from voting on it in the Rajya Sabha,” the party added. “The Congress’ abstention from voting on this issue will help the BJP immensely in furthering its attack on Indian democracy.”

Describing the ordinance as “anti-constitutional, anti-federalism and outright undemocratic”, the party said that it is attempting to reverse the Supreme Court order.

https://scroll.in/latest/1051474/difficult-to-be-part-of-opposition-alliance-if-congress-refuses-to-denounce-centres-ordinance-aap

The Tribune – Giani Raghbir Singh takes charge as new Akal Takht Jathedar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar – Panjab – India, 22 June 2023. Giani Raghbir Singh took over the charge of regular Jathedar of Sikhs highest temporal seat – Akal Takht – as per the Sikh traditions in presence of a large number of representatives of various Sikh organisations, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and outgoing acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh here on Thursday.

Giani Harpreet Singh participated in the programme as Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar.

Giani Raghbir Singh was appointed as new Jathedar by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) a week ago replacing Giani Harpreet Singh who ‘resigned’ as acting Jathedar of Akal Takht before going to Australia.

Akal Takht has got a regular Jathedar after four years and eight months. After taking charge, he paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple.

In his first interaction with mediapersons at the Akal Takht secretariat, Giani Raghbir Singh termed the amendment to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, by the Punjab Government as ‘unfortunate’. He said the Punjab Government should have waited as five Sikh high priests had already directed the SGPC to launch its own channel for broadcasting Gurbani live free of cost. The SGPC has already rejected the amendment by the state government.

Giani Raghbir Singh also termed alleged disrespect and comments on open beard – one of five Ks in Sikh religion – in the Vidhan Sabha by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as deplorable.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/giani-raghbir-singh-takes-charge-as-new-akal-takht-jathedar-519405

The Statesman – Kejriwal writes to Opposition parties to discuss Centre’s ordinance at 23 June meeting

Delhi CM has also requested the parties to make their political stand on this matter very clear during the meeting.

New Delhi – India, 21 June, 2023. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to non-BJP parties urging them to discuss the Centre’s ordinance that effectively nullifies the Supreme Court order over control of services in Delhi during the Opposition parties’ meet in Patna on 23 June.

He alleged that similar ordinances could be brought for other states too.

In his letter, Kejriwal has urged the parties to list the Centre’s ordinance, as the first issue to be discussed on June 23. He has also requested the parties to make their political stand on this matter very clear during the meeting.

Kejriwal cautioned the opposition parties to look at it in a holistic manner and not think about it as a “Delhi-centric” problem. He said, “If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, then similar orders will be imposed on other non-BJP ruled states as well.”

He also pointed out that such orders will encroach upon the powers of state governments in matters listed in the concurrent list. Kejriwal further said, “One by one, democracy will be eradicated in other states as well, and the Prime Minister will control all state governments through the office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.”

In his letter, Kejriwal expressed his gratitude to all non-BJP parties for standing in solidarity with the citizens of Delhi and firmly opposing the ordinance promulgated by the Centre. He further said that he has studied the ordinance carefully and it is very dangerous for democracy.

“I have studied this matter thoroughly. It would be wrong to assume that such an order can only be imposed in the context of Delhi because Delhi is a half-state.

Through a similar order, the central government can strip away all the rights of any full-fledged state mentioned in the concurrent list,” Kejriwal said.

“For example, the central government can completely take away the authority of states over subjects like electricity, education, trade, and other issues through such an order. The central government has already experimented with such an order in Delhi.

If the central government succeeds in this experiment, it will then issue similar orders for each non-BJP ruled state one by one, thereby taking away the rights of states over subjects mentioned in the concurrent list.

Hence, it becomes extremely crucial for all parties and individuals to come together and ensure that this order is not passed in Parliament under any circumstances,” he wrote.

Kejriwal further wrote that if this ordinance is introduced in the Parliament in the form of a Bill, it is very important for the opposition parties to come together and defeat it.

“If this Bill gets passed in the Parliament, it will be the end of democracy in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have no power to choose the government they desire. The central government will directly govern Delhi through the Lieutenant Governor.

Regardless of which party the people elect as the government, they will have no power. After Delhi, one by one, democracy will be abolished in all states, and eventually, the Prime Minister will govern all state governments through Governors and Lieutenant Governors,” he added.

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/kejriwal-writes-to-opposition-parties-to-discuss-centres-ordinance-at-june-23-meeting-1503192580.html

The Tribune – Second accused charged with first-degree murder in New Year’s Day shooting that left Sikh man dead

Police say Barinder Singh and his daughter were ‘innocent victims of a wrongly targeted crime’

Toronto – Ontario – Canada, 21 June 2023. A second accused has been charged with first-degree murder in a New Year’s Day shooting that left a 51-year-old Sikh man dead and his 21-year-old daughter injured in Canada.

Daqwan Roshayne Howard Lee, 28, was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent, Edmonton police said.

Police said Barinder Singh and his daughter were “innocent victims of a wrongly targeted crime”.

Lee is the second person charged in the shooting, after Tevahn Orr, 31, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, turned himself in to the Hamilton Police Service on March 21.

Orr was also charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent.

On January 1, patrol officers responded to the report of a disturbance at a residence in the area of 16-A Avenue and 38 Street.

Upon arrival, officers located an injured man and a woman.

EMS responded, treated and transported Singh to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The 21-year-old woman was also taken to hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.

A week later, the Edmonton Medical Examiner completed an autopsy on Singh and determined the cause of death to be gunshot wounds.

The manner of death was homicide.

Singh, along with his family, had moved from Punjab to Edmonton in 2019.

The family told Global News the four of them were asleep when the front door was smashed in and bullets began flying.

“Somebody broke into the house,” said Singh’s wife Jasjeet Kaur.

“We all were sleeping and there was a number of gunshots.”It’s all like a nightmare for us,” a shattered Kaur had said earlier responding to the tragedy.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/diaspora/second-accused-charged-with-first-degree-murder-in-new-years-day-shooting-that-left-sikh-father-dead-519037

The Statesman – Security at religious places in Punjab to be strengthened

The state police asks managment committees to depute security guard and ensure the installation of CCTV cameras.

Chandigarh – Panjab – India, 19 June 2023. To keep a vigil on mischievous elements, the Punjab Police have advised the management committees of religious places to install CCTV cameras and depute security guards at the entry gate of their such places.

Special Director General of Police (DGP), Law and Order, Arpit Shukla said that Punjab Police have conducted a two-day special checking at all such institutions including gurdwaras, temples, churches and mosques to review the security arrangements and make sure that closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are installed and functioning.

The special checking was conducted on Saturday and Sunday in all the 28 Police districts of the state on the directions of DGP Punjab, Gaurav Yadav.

Shukla said the police district chiefs were directed to depute an adequate number of teams to visit all the religious places in their jurisdiction and hold security review meetings with the priests and members of management committees.

The gazetted rank officers were asked to hold meetings with important religious groups such as Satkar committees and Shiv Sena leaders, he said.

Shukla also directed police teams to ensure all the religious places have CCTV cameras installed at the premises and is guarded by the watchman or security guard.

At least 698 police teams, involving over 4000 police personnel, carried out checks at as many as 16118 Gurdwaras, 4263 Temples, 1930 Churches and 777 Mosques across the state. The entire checking was held under the supervision of Range Inspector Generals of Police (IGsP).

The Special DGP, Shukla, also urged management committees of all the Gurdwaras, Temples, Churches and Mosques to always remain alert and vigilant to prevent any untoward incident at their respective religious institutions.

He asked them to ensure weekly checking of CCTV cameras to make sure that they are in working condition. He also advised the management committees to depute security guards at the entry gate of their respective religious places.

Meanwhile, directions have been given to increase police patrolling around all the religious places to intensify surveillance on anti-social elements.

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/security-at-religious-places-in-punjab-to-be-strengthened-1503191812.html