ISLAMABAD: Responding to Canadian accusations that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver, Pakistan said on Wednesday the charges called into question New Delhi’s reliability as a credible international partner and showed that its “network of extra-territorial killings” had gone global.
On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh leader who was killed by masked gunmen in June in Surrey, outside Vancouver. For years, India has said Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, has links to terrorism, an allegation Nijjar denied.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has rejected outright Canada’s suspicions that New Delhi’s agents had links to the murder.
“India’s assassination of a Canadian national on Canadian soil is a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty,” the foreign ministry for Pakistan, India’s arch-rival and neighbor, said. “It is also a reckless and irresponsible act that calls into question India’s reliability as a credible international partner and its claims for enhanced global responsibilities.”
The foreign office said the news of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing showed that “India’s network of extra-territorial killings has now gone global.”
“For decades, Indian intelligence agency RAW has been actively involved in abductions and assassinations in South Asia,” the foreign office said, saying Pakistan had itself been a target of espionage and target killings by RAW.
In December 2022, Pakistan released a dossier accusing Indian intelligence of being behind an attack in Lahore in June 2021. In 2016, Pakistan arrested former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and convicted him of planning espionage and sabotage and sentenced him to death. Jadhav is still in a Pakistani prison and India says he is innocent.
Speaking to journalists in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Pakistani Foreign Secretary said Islamabad was “not surprised” by Canada’s allegations against the Indian government.
“We have captured one of [India’s] serving naval intelligence officers [Jadhav] on our soil, who is in our custody at the moment, and he has admitted that he had arrived here to create instability and all types of mischief,” Qazi said.
“The situation is developing, so let’s see, but according to our experience, we are not surprised.”
‘Reckless and irresponsible’: Pakistan hits out at India over link to killing of Sikh separatist leader
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‘Reckless and irresponsible’: Pakistan hits out at India over link to killing of Sikh separatist leader
- Canadian PM Trudeau has said there was “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
- Pakistani foreign office says Pakistan had for years been a target of espionage and target killings by Indian intelligence
Pakistan’s Punjab to hold Basant kite festival from Feb. 6-8 after 25-year ban
- Province to start safety antenna installation campaign on all motorbikes from tomorrow
- Basant ban began in the mid-2000s after fatal incidents involving metal-coated kite strings
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province will hold the iconic spring kite-flying Basant festival from Feb. 6-8 next year after the provincial government lifted its long-running 25-year ban earlier this month, a senior minister said on Wednesday.
The ban due to fatal kite-string accidents was lifted after the provincial administration passed the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, marking a cautious comeback for a festival that once symbolized the arrival of spring in the region.
Basant, one of Punjab’s most celebrated cultural festivals, used to draw thousands to rooftops across Lahore and other cities. However, from 2005 onward, it was repeatedly banned after dozens of people were killed or injured by dangerous metal and chemically coated kite strings that could slash motorcyclists and pedestrians, many of them children.
Courts and provincial administrations upheld these prohibitions for years, making the revival of Basant one of Punjab’s most politically sensitive cultural decisions.
“[Chief Minister] Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the revival of our beloved Heritage Basant Festival on February 6th, 7th and 8th celebrated across Lahore after 25 years, a tradition rooted in history and admired worldwide,” Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a post on X.
“The Basant Ordinance 2025 will be fully enforced and implemented. Every kite string and seller registered, QR coded and monitored. Basant belongs to the people, its success is our collective responsibility.”
Aurangzeb added that a citywide campaign to install safety antennas on all motorbikes will begin tomorrow.
“Every motorbike in Lahore will have Antenna for safety before and during Basant Inshallah,” Aurangzeb added. “Safety is CM Punjab’s priority. Let every kite soar and every ride be safe together, we’ll make Lahore happy historic and secure!“
Under new regulations, the government has made it mandatory for anyone making or selling kites to register. Each kite must carry a QR code linking to the seller’s identity.
The rules also prohibit children under the age of 18 from flying kites, making their guardians responsible for any violations. Fines for minors are set at Rs 50,000 ($179) for a first offense and Rs 100,000 ($358) for a second offense. Kite flying will only be allowed with formal authorization.
In Punjab, kite flying will require permission from the deputy commissioners, and kites may only be purchased from registered vendors.
The ordinance introduces strict penalties for adults as well, including three to five years in prison and a fine of Rs 2 million ($7,160) for violations.
The government has said the new regulatory framework was intended to revive the Basant festival in a controlled and safe manner, balancing public enthusiasm for the celebration with longstanding concerns over fatal injuries caused by unsafe kite strings.
Officials say that the ordinance also aims to formalize the small but extensive economy surrounding Basant, which includes kite manufacturing, string production, dyes, paper supply, bamboo cutting, wholesalers and thousands of seasonal vendors.
For decades, this value chain has operated informally, with no licensing, safety regulations, or tax registration, generating minimal direct revenue for the provincial government.
By bringing manufacturers and sellers into a documented system through mandatory registration and QR-coded products, officials argue that the government can expand its tax base, ensure safer production standards and create more predictable business opportunities for cottage-industry workshops that rely on the Basant season for income.
