The leader of a significant pro-Khalistan British Sikh outfit has claimed that a renowned Pakistani journalist working for Pakistan’s GEO News and its periodicals risks death threats from the Indian state as a result of his coverage of Khalistan issues and pro-Khalistan Sikh activists.
In an interview with the Sikh Channel Akaal TV, Dabinderjit Singh, the leader of the Sikh Federation UK, disclosed that the Metropolitan Police is aware of the Indian state’s threats to Mr Murtaza Ali Shah. The Sikh Federation confirmed this in a tweet and video interview.
Dabinderjit Singh, a retired government officer who created the Sikh federation ten years ago, said that the GEO TV journalist is on the Indian hit list for his coverage of Sikh concerns, notably his coverage of Khalistan Referendum and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a group banned in India.
“Murtaza Ali Shah, who covers Sikh topics for GEO TV, is not Sikh. Murtaza Shah has been covering the Khalistan Referendum organized by Sikhs For Justice in the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and Italy. He has been traveling to these locations from London for news,” he claimed, linking his journalism to the danger.
India is infamous for targeting journalists that cover Kashmir and Khalistan topics. Last year, India blocked Murtaza Ali Shah’s social media accounts, as well as those of other notable journalists such as Rana Ayyub and C J Werleman.
Dabinderjit Singh stated that the UK’s intelligence agency “GCHQ monitors everything, and it must be in their knowledge what threats exist” for activists. They must have knowledge of the hazards that existed.
Singh stated that GCHQ “must have monitored the hit list India has issued.” They must also have received intelligence from Canada and their allies about what India is up to. For nearly 40 years, Sikhs in the United Kingdom have been the number one target of all Sikh-populated countries.
