NEW YORK, Dec 5: Federal prosecutors said on Monday that a Pakistani living in New York wired money and tried to send foot soldiers to a Sikh militant organisation aimed at violently forcing the Indian government into letting the group form its own state.

Khalid Awan knew the $25,000 that two Sikh businessmen gave him to transfer to a Khalistan Commando Force leader in 2001 “was for bad things and that innocent people would die,” a federal prosecutor said. The prosecutor spoke in the Brooklyn federal court during opening arguments of Awan's trial on counts of providing material support or resources to terrorists, conspiracy to provide support or resources to terrorists and money laundering to promote terrorism.—Reuters