Canadian Court Upholds No-Fly List For Khalistan Supporters

A Canadian court has dismissed the appeal of two individuals who claimed to be supporters of Khalistan, who sought removal from a no-fly list imposed on them in 2018.

The Canadian Press agency stated that Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai sought the removal of their no-fly designations as per the Secure Air Travel Act. Nevertheless, the Federal Court of Appeal rejected their request, which contested a 2022 court decision affirming their placement on the list.

The court determined that the government had “reasonable grounds to suspect that the appellants would travel by air to commit a terrorism offense”. These proceedings took place on June 13 and June 17, with the ruling issued on June 19 by a panel of three judges.

Brar is thought to be the offspring of Lakhbir Singh Lode, identified as the leader of the International Sikh Youth Federation, a designated terrorist group in Canada. Rode, the relative of extremist figure Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, passed away in Pakistan last December. Bhindranwale met his demise in June 1984 during Operation Bluestar, when Indian forces raided the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Brar was barred from a flight at Vancouver Airport on April 24, 2018, while Dulai faced the same on May 17, 2018.

In July 2020, Global News reported that Brar, residing in Brampton within the Greater Toronto Area, was accused by Canadian security agency documents of collaborating with Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service to orchestrate an attack in India, which was thwarted in 2017. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s espionage agency.

The same documents, the outlet reported, alleged Dulai, based in Surrey, British Columbia, was “suspected to be a facilitator of terrorist-related activities, and has shown an ongoing pattern of involvement within the Khalistani extremist milieu”.