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Picture Credit: Sarah Blesener/The New York Times
Pro-Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has called on Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army to refuse to fight for India should the country go to war with Pakistan.
Pannun, who heads the ‘Sikhs For Justice’ movement, expressed his views in a video message, claiming that Pakistan is a ‘friendly’ state for Sikhs and for the cause of Khalistan.
“If India attacks Pakistan, then it will be the final war for India and PM Modi. The Punjabis on the Indian side would serve langar for the Pakistani army,” Pannun said, as reported by the Dawn.
In the video, Pannun warned that if India were to attack Pakistan, it would be a ‘final war’ for both countries and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He provocatively stated that if conflict ensued, the Punjabi community on the Indian side would offer ‘langar’ (a community meal) to the Pakistani army.
Pannun continued by saying that Pakistan was not an enemy of Sikhs, but rather a ‘friendly country’ and a neighbour to be welcomed once Punjab was liberated.
He urged Sikh soldiers to reject the call to arms, framing Pakistan as a supporter of the Sikh cause and Khalistan.
“Now is the time to say no to Narendra Modi’s jingoistic war. Do not fight against Pakistan. Pakistan is not your enemy. Pakistan will be and is a friendly country for the Sikh people and for Khalistan. Once we liberate Punjab, Pakistan will be our neighbour,” Pannun noted.
Escalating Tensions Between India & Pakistan
The remarks come in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 Indians.
The attack, attributed to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba’s offshoot, The Resistance Front, has further strained relations between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has granted full operational freedom to the Indian armed forces in response to the attack, empowering them to determine the time, target, and mode of India’s retaliation.
Pannun, however, made baseless allegations, claiming that the Indian government was responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.
Several Pakistani officials have suggested that India may take military action in response, and the Pakistani stock market saw a sharp decline on Wednesday amidst growing speculation.
However, India has refrained from reacting publicly to these claims.
Pannun’s statements appear to be part of an attempt to influence Sikh soldiers, but his assertions about the Punjabi community and Sikhs are widely dismissed as unfounded and inflammatory.
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