In a significant shift in tone and policy, Canada has for the first time officially designated Khalistani extremists as a national security threat, acknowledging their continued use of Canadian soil to plan, fund, and promote violence — primarily targeting India.
This landmark admission comes from the 2024 annual report of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), tabled in Parliament just a day after Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney held bilateral talks during the G7 Summit in Alberta. The meeting led to a reset in strained ties, with both nations agreeing to appoint new high commissioners and resume trade talks.
CSIS stated that “Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) continue to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests,” even though no violent attacks linked to CBKEs occurred on Canadian soil in 2024.
The report stressed that only a group of individuals based in Canada are involved, but they remain active in “promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.”
Crucially, this marks the first time the Canadian government has used the term “extremists” to describe supporters of the Khalistan separatist movement operating within its borders — a longstanding demand from India, which has repeatedly raised concerns about the safe haven these groups enjoy in Canada.
The CSIS report acknowledges a major intelligence failure in its early years regarding the Khalistan movement. Referring to the 1985 Air India bombing by Canada-based extremists, it states:
“In 1985, Canada-based extremists planted and detonated a bomb on Air India Flight 182, killing all 329 people onboard, the majority being Canadian… The failure to disrupt this event provided several hard lessons for CSIS to learn as a young security intelligence service.”
The 1985 Air India bombing—Canada’s deadliest terrorist attack, claiming 329 lives—proved a watershed for CSIS’s security posture and still clouds Canada–India relations today.
The CSIS report notes that “real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada,” highlighting the ripple effects of the issue on domestic politics and international diplomacy.
India has in recent years handed over more than 20 extradition requests for individuals linked to Khalistani violence. The current Canadian acknowledgement is likely to be seen in New Delhi as a diplomatic breakthrough.
Beyond the Khalistan issue, the CSIS report also pointed fingers at Pakistan for its role in transnational repression and foreign interference, including meddling in Canadian elections. It said Pakistan attempted to influence the nomination of candidates sympathetic to its interests and targeted critics in Canada’s South Asian diaspora.
“Pakistan will continue to target various levels of government as well as ethnic, cultural and religious communities, specifically in relation to electoral nomination processes. They may also target media,” the report warned.
Marking the 40th anniversary of CSIS, the report presents a candid overview of Canada’s evolving threat landscape — from politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE) to foreign state interference. It affirms that politically motivated groups, including CBKEs, seek to “establish new political systems or entities” through global planning, financing, and facilitation of violence.
While freedom of speech is protected, the Canadian intelligence community has now clearly drawn a red line between free expression and violent extremism — a distinction that is expected to shape future policy and counter-terrorism cooperation with India.
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