82-474: Operation Tupac is the codename of a military-intelligence contingency program that was run in the 1980s by Pakistan's main intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It has a three-part action plan to provide covert support to anti- India separatists and militants in the insurgency in Indan-administered Jammu and Kashmir . The program was authorized and initiated in 1988 by the order of
164-623: A New York Times article written just a few weeks after the operation, "Before the raid on the Golden Temple, neither the Government nor anyone else appeared to put much credence in the Khalistan movement. Mr. Bhindranwale himself said many times that he was not seeking an independent country for Sikhs, merely greater autonomy for Punjab within the Indian Union.... One possible explanation advanced for
246-454: A public address system , the Army repeatedly demanded the militants to surrender, asking them to at least allow pilgrims to leave the temple premises before commencing battle. Nothing happened until 7:00 pm ( IST ). The Army, equipped with tanks and heavy artillery , had grossly underestimated the firepower possessed by the militants, who attacked with anti-tank and machine-gun fire from
328-556: A Cabinet and declared himself president of the "Republic of Khalistan," issuing symbolic Khalistan 'passports,' 'postage stamps,' and 'Khalistan dollars.' Moreover, embassies in Britain and other European countries were opened by Chohan. It is reported that, with the support of a wealthy Californian peach magnate, Chohan opened an Ecuadorian bank account to further support his operation. As well as maintaining contacts among various groups in Canada,
410-937: A Hindu-majority province. Sikh historian Harjot Singh Oberoi argues that, despite the historical linkages between Sikhs and Punjab, territory has never been a major element of Sikh self-definition. He makes the case that the attachment of Punjab with Sikhism is a recent phenomenon, stemming from the 1940s. Historically, Sikhism has been pan-Indian, with the Guru Granth Sahib (the main scripture of Sikhism) drawing from works of saints in both North and South India, while several major seats in Sikhism (e.g. Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar , and Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra ) are located outside of Punjab. Oberoi makes
492-544: A Punjabi-majority state would effectively mean yet again creating a state based on religious grounds. On 7 September 1966, the Punjab Reorganisation Act was passed in Parliament, implemented with effect beginning 1 November 1966. Accordingly, Punjab was divided into the state of Punjab and Haryana , with certain areas to Himachal Pradesh . Chandigarh was made a centrally administered Union territory . While
574-667: A bomb blast by a member of Babbar Khalsa . The movement failed to reach its objective for multiple reasons, including violent police crackdowns on separatists, factional infighting, and disillusionment from the Sikh population. There is some support within India and the Sikh diaspora, with yearly demonstrations in protest of those killed during Operation Blue Star . In early 2018, some militant groups were arrested by police in Punjab, India. Former Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh claimed that
656-557: A community that was separate from Hindus and Muslims. The Akali Dal imagined Khalistan as a theocratic state led by the Maharaja of Patiala with the aid of a cabinet consisting of the representatives of other units. The country would include parts of present-day Punjab, India , present-day Punjab, Pakistan (including Lahore ), and the Simla Hill States . Before the 1947 partition of India , Sikhs were not in majority in any of
738-532: A confidential report to the Joint Service Commander's Committee, Cawthorn wrote: "In October 1948, Brigadier Shahid Hamid was assigned the task of building this organization from scratch. Despite significant challenges, such as the lack of experienced personnel and essential records, as well as continued staff shortages, he successfully developed the Directorate into a functional organization. He also gained
820-519: A majority of Sikhs, along with the Hindus, migrated from the Pakistani region to India's Punjab, which included present-day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh . The Sikh population, which had gone as high as 19.8% in some Pakistani districts in 1941, dropped to 0.1% in Pakistan, and rose sharply in the districts assigned to India. However, they would still be a minority in the Punjab province of India, which remained
902-501: A mountain of a molehill where none existed," that the agency created seven posts in West Europe and North America in 1981 to counter non-existent Khalistan activities, and that the deployed officers were "not always familiar with the Sikhs or the Punjab issue." He described the secessionist movement as a "chimera" until the army operation, after which the insurgency would start. According to
SECTION 10
#1732851168432984-412: A reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina , or Buddhist religion," while also implicitly recognizing Sikhism as a separate religion: "the wearing and carrying of kripans [ sic ] shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion." Even today, this clause is deemed offensive by many religious minorities in India due to its failure to recognise such religions separately under
1066-493: A result of Khalistani violence and riots. As negotiations held with Bhindranwale and his supporters proved unsuccessful, Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to launch Operation Blue Star. Along with the Army, the operation would involve Central Reserve Police Force , Border Security Force , and Punjab Police . Army units led by Lt. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar (a Sikh), surrounded the temple complex on 3 June 1984. Just before
1148-700: Is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno ‐ religious sovereign state called Khalistan ( lit. ' land of the Khalsa ' ) in the Punjab region . The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab , while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh , Haryana , and Himachal Pradesh . Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as
1230-538: Is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant to Pakistan 's national security . The ISI reports to its director-general and is primarily focused on providing intelligence to the Pakistani government . The ISI primarily consists of serving military officers drawn on secondment from the three service branches of the Pakistan Armed Forces :
1312-1405: Is said to have supported Ayub Khan 's rise to power. After his retirement, he helped President Muhammed Zia-ul-Haq . Walter Cawthorn Syed Shahid Hamid HJ Mirza Hamid Hussain Muhammad Afzal Malik Syed Ghawas Sher Bahadur Muhammad Hayat Riaz Hussain Muhammed Akbar Khan Ghulam Jilani Khan Muhammad Riaz Khan Akhtar Abdur Rahman NI(M) HI(M) Hamid Gul HI(M) SBt Shamsur Rahman Kallu HI(M) TBt Asad Durrani HI(M) Javed Nasir HI(M) SBt Javed Ashraf Qazi HI(M) SBt Naseem Rana Ziauddin Butt HI(M) Mahmud Ahmed HI(M) Ehsan ul Haq HI(M) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani HI(M) SI(M) TI(M) Nadeem Taj HI(M) TBt Ahmad Shuja Pasha HI(M) Zaheerul Islam HI(M) Rizwan Akhtar Naveed Mukhtar Asim Munir HI(M) Faiz Hameed HI(M) Nadeem Anjum Asim Malik Pro-Khalistan The Khalistan movement
1394-527: Is the son of the assassin of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sikhs have been concentrated in the Punjab region of South Asia . Before its conquest by the British, the region around Punjab had been ruled by the confederacy of Sikh Misls . The Misls ruled over the eastern Punjab from 1733 to 1799, until their confederacy was unified into the Sikh Empire by Maharajah Ranjit Singh from 1799 to 1849. At
1476-773: Is thought to be actively ongoing as the ISI has maintained its support for Kashmiri separatists, Islamists and other ideological militants in their fight against the Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir . After the Mujahideen victory against the Soviet Union occupation in Afghanistan , Mujahideen fighters, under the Operation Tupac with the aid of Pakistan , slowly infiltrated Kashmir with
1558-612: Is usually headed by a major general , air marshal , or rear admiral . The Director General of the ISI is among the most powerful posts in Pakistan. For example, according to Mohammad Sohail, shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange went down in October 2021 over concerns regarding the appointment of the ISI chief. The benchmark KSE-100 index fell 1.51%. According to retired air marshal Shahzad Chaudhry, three to four names are provided by
1640-816: The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 . The Akalis demanded replacement of such rules with laws specific to Sikhism . Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi , between 1 and 8 June 1984, to remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib complex (aka the Golden Temple) in Amritsar , Punjab – the most sacred site in Sikhism. In July 1983, Akali Dal President Harchand Singh Longowal had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence at
1722-530: The 1972 Punjab elections . To regain public appeal, the party put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in 1973 to demand radical devolution of power and further autonomy to Punjab. The resolution document included both religious and political issues, asking for the recognition of Sikhism as a religion separate from Hinduism, as well as the transfer of Chandigarh and certain other areas to Punjab. It also demanded that power be radically devolved from
SECTION 20
#17328511684321804-565: The Chief of Army Staff , and the prime minister selects the director general from that list, and the appointed serves for two to three years. Before 2021, the appointment process of the Director-General followed no formal protocol other than verbal discussion between the Prime Minister and the head of the army. Walter Cawthorn was the first head of the ISI. His successor, Syed Shahid Hamid
1886-546: The Council of Khalistan , declaring its formation at Anandpur Sahib on 12 April 1980. Chohan designated himself as President of the Council and Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General. In May 1980, Chohan travelled to London to announce the formation of Khalistan. A similar announcement was made in Amritsar by Sandhu, who released stamps and currency of Khalistan. Operating from a building termed "Khalistan House", Chohan named
1968-566: The INC party, responded by sealing the Delhi-Punjab border, and ordering all Sikh visitors travelling from to Delhi from Punjab to be frisked. While such measures were seen as discriminatory and humiliating by Sikhs, they proved effective as Akali Dal could only organize small and scattered protests in Delhi. Consequently, many Sikhs who did not initially support Akalis and Bhindranwale began sympathizing with
2050-758: The ISI provided strategic support and intelligence to the Taliban against the Northern Alliance during the Afghan Civil War in the 1990s. The ISI has strong links with jihadist groups, particularly in Afghanistan and Kashmir . Its special warfare unit is the Covert Action Division . The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in their first ever open acknowledgement in 2011 in US Court, said that
2132-551: The July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings , the 2001 Indian Parliament attack , the 2006 Varanasi bombings , the August 2007 Hyderabad bombings , and the 2008 Mumbai attacks . The ISI has been accused of supporting Taliban forces and recruiting and training mujahideen to fight in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Based on communication interceptions, US intelligence agencies concluded Pakistan's ISI
2214-569: The Pakistan Army , Pakistan Navy , and Pakistan Air Force , hence the name "Inter-Services"; the agency also recruits civilians. Since 1971, it has been formally headed by a serving three-star general of the Pakistan Army, who is appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan in consultation with the Chief of Army Staff , who recommends three officers for the position. As of 30 September 2024,
2296-516: The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the foreign-intelligence agency of India, R&AW itself helped "build the Khalistan legend," actively participating in the planning of Operation Blue Star . While posted in Ottawa , Canada in 1976 to look into the "Khalistan problem" among the Sikh diaspora, Sidhu found "nothing amiss" during the three years he was there, stating that "Delhi was unnecessarily making
2378-513: The Union Government led by Indira Gandhi agreed with the creation of Punjab state but refused to make Chandigarh as its capital and also refused to make it autonomous. The outcome of the Punjabi Suba movement failed to meet demands of its leaders. As Punjab and Haryana now shared the capital of Chandigarh, resentment was felt among Sikhs in Punjab. Adding further grievance, a canal system
2460-1028: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir of India. The Joint Intelligence North section of the Joint Counter-Intelligence Bureau (JCIB) wing deals particularly with India. In the 1950s the ISI's Covert Action Division was alleged for supplied arms to insurgents in Northeast India . In 2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsors and oversees militancy in Kashmir. Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf in Oct 2014 said during TV interview, "We have source (in Kashmir) besides
2542-682: The al-Qaeda affiliate Jaish-e-Mohammed ". General Javed Nasir confessed to assisting the besieged Bosnian Muslims, supporting Chinese Muslims in Xinjiang despite a UN arms embargo, rebel Muslim groups in the Philippines, and some religious groups in Central Asia . The National Intelligence Coordination Committee (NICC) of Pakistan is headed by the Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence . The overarching intelligence coordination body
Operation Tupac - Misplaced Pages Continue
2624-455: The (Pakistan) army...People in Kashmir are fighting against (India). We just need to incite them." In 2019, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan publicly discouraged Pakistani people from going to Kashmir to do a jihad . People who went to Kashmir will do an "injustice to the Kashmiri people". Indian commentator Luv Puri claims most of the Pakistani militants who had crossed the border over
2706-453: The 1970s and 1980s, and reaching its zenith in the late 1980s. The Sikh separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chohan said that during his talks with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , the latter affirmed his support for the Khalistan movement in retaliation for the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war , which resulted in the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The separatist insurgency in Punjab started in the early 1980s. Several Khalistani groups were involved in
2788-531: The Akali Dal and the government failed at the last moment due to disagreements regarding the transfer of areas between Punjab and Haryana. Knowing that the Games would receive extensive coverage, Akali leaders vowed to overwhelm Delhi with a flood of protestors, aiming to heighten the perception of Sikh "plight" among the international audience. A week before the Games, Bhajan Lal , Chief Minister of Haryana and member of
2870-576: The Akali Morcha. Following the conclusion of the Games, Longowal organised a convention of Sikh veterans at the Darbar Sahib . It was attended by a large number of Sikh ex-servicemen, including retd. Major General Shabeg Singh who subsequently became Bhindranwale's military advisor. Widespread murders by followers of Bhindranwale occurred in 1980s' Punjab. Armed Khalistani militants of this period described themselves as kharku . On its own,
2952-533: The Government choose not to take action. Finally, following the murder of six Hindu bus passengers in October 1983, emergency rule was imposed in Punjab, which would continue for more than a decade. The Akali Dal began more agitation in February 1984, protesting against Article 25, clause (2)(b), of the Indian Constitution , which ambiguously explains that "the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including
3034-465: The Government's raising of the Khalistan question is that it needs to take every opportunity to justify the killing in Amritsar and the invasion of the Sikhs' holiest shrine." Khushwant Singh had written that "considerable Khalistan sentiment seems to have arisen since the raid on the temple, which many Sikhs, if not most, have taken as a deep offense to their religion and their sensibilities," referring to
3116-620: The ISI began collecting intelligence on the Pakistan Communist Party and the Pakistan Peoples Party . The Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s saw the enhancement of the ISI's covert operations . A special Afghanistan section known as the SS Directorate was created under the command of Brigadier Mohammed Yousaf to oversee day-to-day operations in Afghanistan. Officers from the ISI's Covert Action Division received training in
3198-643: The ISI has continued to provide protection, support and intelligence to Lashkar-e-Taiba, among other militant groups in the region. The primary objectives of Pakistan's Operation Tupac upon its execution were: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), intelligence agency of Pakistan has been involved in running military intelligence programs in India, with one of the subsections of its Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) department devoted to perform various operations in India. The Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB) department has also been involved in providing communications support to Pakistani agents operating in regions of
3280-570: The ISI is headed by Lt. Gen. Asim Malik . The Director-General reports directly to both the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff. Relatively unknown outside of Pakistan since its inception, the agency gained global recognition and fame in the 1980s when it backed the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet Union during the Soviet–Afghan War in the former Democratic Republic of Afghanistan . Over
3362-406: The ISI's professional competence. According to some experts, the ISI is the largest intelligence agency in the world in terms of total staff. While the total number has never been made public, experts estimate around 10,000 officers and staff, which does not include informants or assets. The wings are further divided into various directorates, which are sub-divided into departments, each directorate
Operation Tupac - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-419: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsors and oversees the insurgency in Kashmir by arming separatist militant groups. The Inter-Services Intelligence was established in 1948. It was the brainchild of Major General Walter Cawthorn , then Deputy Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army, following the First Kashmir War which had exposed weaknesses in intelligence gathering, sharing, and coordination between
3526-462: The Khalistan movement at a London press conference, though being largely dismissed by the community as fanatical fringe without any support. Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 , Chohan visited Pakistan as a guest of such leaders as Chaudhuri Zahoor Elahi . Visiting Nankana Sahib and several historical gurdwaras in Pakistan, Chohan utilized the opportunity to spread the notion of an independent Sikh state. Widely publicized by Pakistani press,
3608-437: The Sikh community would be formalized in March 1946, when the Sikh political party of Akali Dal passed a resolution proclaiming the natural association of Punjab and the Sikh religious community. Oberoi argues that despite having its beginnings in the early 20th century, Khalistan as a separatist movement was never a major issue until the late 1970s and 1980s when it began to militarize. There are two distinct narratives about
3690-422: The US, and Germany, Chohan kept in contact with the Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was campaigning for a theocratic Sikh homeland. The globalized Sikh diaspora invested efforts and resources for Khalistan, but the Khalistan movement remained nearly invisible on the global political scene until the Operation Blue Star of June 1984. In later disclosures from former special secretary G.B.S. Sidhu of
3772-475: The United States at the invitation of his supporters in the Sikh diaspora , Chohan placed an advertisement in the New York Times proclaiming an independent Sikh state. Such promotion enabled him to collect millions of dollars from the diaspora, eventually leading to charges in India relating to sedition and other crimes in connection with his separatist activities. After returning to India in 1977, Chohan travelled to Britain in 1979. There, he would establish
3854-466: The United States, and "many covert action experts of the CIA were attached to the ISI to guide it in its operations against Soviet troops by using the Afghan Mujahideen". Many analysts (mainly Indian and American) believe that the ISI provides support to militant groups, though others think these allegations remain unsubstantiated. The ISI has often been accused of playing a role in major terrorist attacks across India including militancy in Kashmir ,
3936-399: The armed insurgency, including Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Commando Force , among others. In 1986, Khalistan Commando Force took responsibility for the assassination of General Arun Vaidya , in retaliation for 1984's Operation Blue Star . By the mid-1990s, the insurgency petered out, with the last major incident being the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh , who was killed in
4018-408: The army, air force, navy, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI). The ISI was structured to be operated by officers from the three main military services and to specialize in the collection, analysis, and assessment of external military and non-military intelligence. While Cawthorn established the ISI, it was Syed Shahid Hamid who was tasked with fully setting up the agency. In
4100-410: The capital of Khalistan. The call for a separate Sikh state began during the 1930s, when British rule in India was nearing its end. In 1940, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in a pamphlet titled "Khalistan". With financial and political support from the Sikh diaspora , the movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab – which has a Sikh-majority population – continuing through
4182-413: The case that Sikh leaders in the late 1930s and 1940s realized that the dominance of Muslims in Pakistan and of Hindus in India was imminent. To justify a separate Sikh state within the Punjab, Sikh leaders started to mobilize meta-commentaries and signs to argue that Punjab belonged to Sikhs and Sikhs belong to Punjab. This began the territorialization of the Sikh community. This territorialization of
SECTION 50
#17328511684324264-439: The central to state governments. The document was largely forgotten for some time after its adoption until gaining attention in the following decade. In 1982, the Akali Dal and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale joined hands to launch the Dharam Yudh Morcha in order to implement the resolution. Thousands of people joined the movement, feeling that it represented a real solution to such demands as larger shares of water for irrigation and
4346-477: The commencement of the operation, Lt. Gen. Brar addressed the soldiers: The action is not against the Sikhs or the Sikh religion; it is against terrorism. If there is anyone amongst them, who have strong religious sentiments or other reservations, and do not wish to take part in the operation he can opt out, and it will not be held against him. However, none of the soldiers opted out, including many "Sikh officers, junior commissioned officers and other ranks." Using
4428-409: The constitution. Members of the Akali Dal demanded that the removal of any ambiguity in the Constitution that refers to Sikhs as Hindu, as such prompts various concerns for the Sikh population, both in principle and in practice. For instance, a Sikh couple who would marry in accordance to the rites of their religion would have to register their union either under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 or
4510-427: The course of the conflict, the ISI worked in close coordination with the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States and the Secret Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom to run Operation Cyclone , a program to train and fund the mujahideen in Afghanistan with support from China , Saudi Arabia , and other Muslim nations . Following the dissolution of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992,
4592-406: The districts of pre-partition British Punjab Province other than Ludhiana (where Sikhs formed 41.6% of the population). Rather, districts in the region had a majority of either the Hindus or Muslims depending on its location in the province. British India was partitioned on a religious basis in 1947, where the Punjab province was divided between India and the newly created Pakistan. As result,
4674-439: The drastic change in community sentiments after the army attack. The Akali leaders, having planned to announce a victory for Dharam Yudh Morcha, were outraged by the changes to the agreed-upon settlement. In November 1982, Akali leader Harchand Singh Longowal announced that the party would disrupt the 9th annual Asian Games by sending groups of Akali workers to Delhi to intentionally get arrested. Following negotiations between
4756-407: The end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the Sikh Empire was dissolved into separate princely states and the British province of Punjab . In newly conquered regions, "religio-nationalist movements emerged in response to British ' divide and rule ' administrative policies, the perceived success of Christian missionaries converting Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, and a general belief that
4838-475: The existence of several terrorist camps in Pakistan, with at least one militant admitting to being trained in the country. As part of the ongoing Kashmir conflict , Pakistan is alleged to be backing separatist militias. Many nonpartisan sources believe that officials within Pakistan's military and the ISI sympathise with and aid Islamic terrorists , saying that the "ISI has provided covert but well-documented support to terrorist groups active in Kashmir, including
4920-428: The extensive coverage of his remarks introduced the international community, including those in India, to the demand of Khalistan for the first time. Though lacking public support, the term Khalistan became more and more recognizable. According to Chohan, during a talk with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, Bhutto had proposed to make Nankana Sahib the capital of Khalistan. On 13 October 1971, visiting
5002-483: The goal of spreading radical Islamist ideology to wage jihad in Jammu and Kashmir . While all Kashmiri separatist groups received funding and support, organizations that espoused an explicit pro-Pakistan stance in the Kashmir conflict were more heavily favoured by the Pakistani state. Under this program, the ISI helped create six separatist militant groups in Indian-administered Kashmir, including Lashkar-e-Taiba ,. American intelligence officials have speculated that
SECTION 60
#17328511684325084-462: The heavily fortified Akal Takht , and who possessed Chinese-made, rocket-propelled grenade launchers with armour-piercing capabilities. After a 24-hour shootout , the army finally wrested control of the temple complex. Bhindranwale was killed in the operation, while many of his followers managed to escape. Army casualty figures counted 83 dead and 249 injured, although Rajiv Gandhi would later admit that over 700 Indian soldiers died. According to
5166-420: The militants, diverging from the recommendations provided by the U.K. Military . Opponents of Gandhi also criticised the operation for its excessive use of force. Lieutenant General Brar later stated that the Government had "no other recourse" due to a "complete breakdown" of the situation: state machinery was under the militants' control, declaration of Khalistan was imminent, and Pakistan would have come into
5248-402: The official estimate presented by the Indian Government, the event resulted in a combined total of 493 militant and civilian casualties, as well as the apprehension of 1592 individuals. Independent estimates say over 5,000 civilians and only 200 militants. U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague attributed high civilian casualties to the Indian Government's attempt at a full frontal assault on
5330-422: The origins of the calls for a sovereign Khalistan. One refers to the events within India itself, while the other privileges the role of the Sikh diaspora . Both of these narratives vary in the form of governance proposed for this state (e.g. theocracy vs democracy ) as well as the proposed name (i.e. Sikhistan vs Khalistan). Even the precise geographical borders of the proposed state differs among them although it
5412-423: The recent extremism is backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and "Khalistani sympathisers" in Canada , Italy , and the UK . Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is currently the only pro-Khalistan party recognised by the Election Commission of India . As of 2024, two seats in the Indian Parliament are held by Amritpal Singh , an incarcerated pro-Khalistan activist, and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa , who
5494-447: The recruitment and expansion of the ISI. After the 1958 coup d'état , all national intelligence agencies were directly controlled by the president and Chief Martial Law Administrator . The maintenance of national security, which was the principal function of these agencies, resulted in the consolidation of the Ayub regime. Any criticism of the regime was seen as a threat to national security. On 5 July 1977 through Operation Fair Play ,
5576-510: The return of Chandigarh to Punjab. According to the 'events outside India' narrative, particularly after 1971, the notion of a sovereign and independent state of Khalistan began to get popularized among Sikhs in North America and Europe . One such account is provided by the Khalistan Council which had moorings in West London , where the Khalistan movement is said to have been launched in 1970. Davinder Singh Parmar migrated to London in 1954. According to Parmar, his first pro-Khalistan meeting
5658-433: The sacred temple complex, which the government would allege that Bhindranwale would later make into an armoury and headquarters for his armed uprising. Since the inception of the Dharam Yudh Morcha to the violent events leading up to Operation Blue Star, Khalistani militants had directly killed 165 Hindus and Nirankaris , as well as 39 Sikhs opposed to Bhindranwale, while a total of 410 were killed and 1,180 injured as
5740-445: The solution to the downfall among India's religious communities was a grassroots religious revival." As the British Empire began to dissolve in the 1930s, Sikhs made their first call for a Sikh homeland. When the Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League demanded Punjab be made into a Muslim state, the Akalis viewed it as an attempt to usurp a historically Sikh territory. In response, the Sikh party Shiromani Akali Dal argued for
5822-401: The then- President of Pakistan , Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq . It has since been diminished since the Early 2000s by the later Military Dictator and President of Pakistan , General Pervez Musharraf . The codename of the program is derived from the name of Túpac Amaru II , an 18th-century Peruvian revolutionary who led a large Andean uprising against Spanish colonial rule in Peru . The program
5904-537: The three branches of the Pakistan Armed Forces and paramilitary forces such as ANF , ASF , Pakistan Rangers , Frontier Corps , Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts and Maritime Security Agency as well as civilian officers from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Pakistan Customs , Police , Judiciary and Ministry of Defence make up ISI's general staff. They are recruited on deputations for three to four years and enhance
5986-524: The trust and cooperation of the Service Intelligence authorities in the United Kingdom. Although much remains to be done, Brigadier Shahid Hamid has achieved far more than seemed possible when he took on the task less than two years ago." Naval Commander Syed Mohammad Ahsan , who served as Deputy Director Naval Intelligence of Pakistan and helped formulate ISI procedure, undertook and managed
6068-540: The year 1984 (from 1 January to 3 June) saw 775 violent incidents, resulting in 298 people killed and 525 injured. Though it was common knowledge that those responsible for such bombings and murders were taking shelter in gurdwaras , the INC Government of India declared that it could not enter these places of worship, for the fear of hurting Sikh sentiments. Even as detailed reports on the open shipping of arms-laden trucks were sent to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ,
6150-487: The years and were caught by the Indian security forces were found to belong to the Punjab province of Pakistan. India has also accused the ISI of reinvigorating separatism and insurgencies in the country via support to pro-Khalistan militant groups such as the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), in order to destabilize India. A report by India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) indicated that ISI
6232-423: Was "desperately trying to revive Sikh" militant activity in India. The ISI is also allegedly active in printing and supplying counterfeit Indian rupee notes. Inter-Services Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence ( ISI ; Urdu : بین الخدماتی استخبارات , romanized : bain-al-xidmātī istixbārāt ) is the largest and best-known component of the Pakistani intelligence community . It
6314-413: Was a sovereign state (i.e. Khalistan), while its minimal position was to have an autonomous state within India. The issues raised during the Punjabi Suba movement were later used as a premise for the creation of a separate Sikh country by proponents of Khalistan. As the religious-based partition of India led to much bloodshed, the Indian government initially rejected the demand, concerned that creating
6396-789: Was attended by less than 20 people and he was labelled as a madman, receiving only one person's support. Parmar continued his efforts despite the lack of following, eventually raising the Khalistani flag in Birmingham in the 1970s. In 1969, two years after losing the Punjab Assembly elections, Indian politician Jagjit Singh Chohan moved to the United Kingdom to start his campaign for the creation of Khalistan. Chohan's proposal included Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, as well as some parts of Rajasthan . Parmar and Chohan met in 1970 and formally announced
6478-548: Was behind the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul on 7 July 2008, a charge that the governments of India and Afghanistan had laid previously. It is believed to be aiding these organisations in eradicating perceived enemies or those opposed to their cause, including India, Russia, China, Israel , the United States , the United Kingdom , and other members of NATO . Satellite imagery from the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggest
6560-479: Was generally imagined to be carved out from one of various historical constructions of the Punjab. Established on 14 December 1920, Akali Dal was a Sikh political party that sought to form a government in Punjab. Following the 1947 independence of India, the Punjabi Suba movement , led by the Akali Dal, sought the creation of a province ( suba ) for Punjabi people . The Akali Dal's maximal position of demands
6642-523: Was given assent by the Prime Minister of Pakistan in November 2020. It held its inaugural session on 24 June 2021, marking the date the committee became functional. A director-general, who is traditionally a serving lieutenant general in the Pakistan Army, heads the ISI. Three deputy director generals, who are serving two-star military officers, report directly to the director general with each deputy heading three wings respectively: Military officers of
6724-402: Was put in place over the rivers of Ravi , Beas , and Sutlej , which flowed through Punjab, in order for water to also reach Haryana and Rajasthan . As result, Punjab would only receive 23% of the water while the rest would go to the two other states. The fact that the issue would not be revisited brought on additional turmoil to Sikh resentment against Congress. The Akali Dal was defeated in
#431568