WASHINGTON: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of an imminent threat to his life, days before he is due to attend a pro-Khalistan referendum in Edmonton, Canada, according to Pannun.
Pannun, a dual American-Canadian citizen and general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), told CBS News on October 15 that FBI agents had visited his New York City home to alert him to the threat. The FBI is investigating the reported threats, CBS News reported.
According to Pannun, the FBI issued a “Duty to Warn” notification on October 15, particularly concerning his planned travel to Canada for the October 18 referendum. SFJ says the event will proceed as scheduled.
Pannun has also reported receiving warnings from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) about threats to his life and his residence in Ontario.
The warnings come as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek to strengthen bilateral relations through negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and greater cooperation on security and law enforcement.
The renewed engagement follows tensions over allegations of Indian involvement in threats against Sikh separatist activists in Canada and the United States. Questioning Ottawa’s approach, Pannun said closer economic and security ties with New Delhi raised questions about Canada’s response to threats against Khalistan referendum organisers.
“How can Canada claim progress on security cooperation with India while assassination threats against Khalistan Referendum activists continue on Canadian soil?” he asked.
Pannun also questioned whether the reported threats reflected a change in the Indian government’s conduct or in Canada’s approach to confronting them.
He was previously the target of a foiled assassination plot in the United States in 2023. US prosecutors brought a criminal case involving an alleged plot directed by a former Indian intelligence official, drawing attention to allegations of transnational repression targeting Sikh separatists.
The June 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, further strained relations between Canada and India. Canadian authorities have pursued allegations related to the killing, while India has denied involvement in violence against Sikh activists abroad.
SFJ says other referendum organizers in Canada have also received warnings in recent months, including organizers in Ontario and British Columbia. Avtar Singh Pannu, an American referendum coordinator, was reportedly warned of a threat to his life while visiting Edmonton.
SFJ plans to hold a non-binding Khalistan referendum in Edmonton on October 18, asking participants whether Punjab should become independent from India and be established as Khalistan.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026
