There have been allegations that India and Pakistan tried to ‘interfere’ in Canada’s federal elections in 2019 and 2021. This sensational allegation was made by Canada’s intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Indian media NDTV reported that the Federal Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating possible interference in the 2021 elections by various countries including China, India and Russia, has submitted a summary alleging this interference. Besides, the British media Guardian and the American media CNBC have published reports on the matter.
According to the document, there were attempts by India and Pakistan to interfere in Canadian elections. According to a Canadian report, New Delhi targeted some Canadian provinces during the 2021 elections in that country. Provinces with the largest population of Indian origin.
New Delhi believes that voters in these provinces are pro-Khalistani and pro-Pakistan. That is why proxy agents of the Indian government have made illegal financial transactions in these provinces. So that the pro-Delhi candidates win the Canadian elections.
Similarly, two years ago i.e. in 2019, Pakistani government officials in Canada tried to covertly influence Canada’s federal politics with the aim of advancing the interests of that country’s government, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service report.
The Indian media reported that India has rejected Canada’s complaint. After the report was made public, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We reject such baseless allegations against India.” It is not the policy of the Government of India to interfere in the elections of other countries.
Although India has rejected these claims and pledged not to interfere in other countries’ democratic processes, Canada’s probe into foreign interference has further strained relations between the two countries, the report said.
Earlier in June 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijja in the country. With this, the relationship between India and Canada became tense.
Trudeau’s country took a series of measures, including a temporary suspension of visas for Canadians and a reduction in diplomatic presence, despite India dismissing the allegations as unfounded. The diplomatic rift between the two countries deepened in February after China and Russia, as well as Canadian intelligence, labeled it a ‘foreign threat’.
![Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, says the country believes in constructive dialogue with the US [Courtesy of Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs]](https://southasiancorrespondent.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pak-1-390x220.jpg)
