Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief and designated terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar (63) was shot dead in Pakistan’s Lahore early on Saturday.
The native of Panjwar village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district joined the outfit in 1986. He faced several cases in the state and fled to Pakistan in 1990 with the help of its spy agency ISI, which allegedly provided him a safe house in Lahore and a new identity: Malik Sardar Singh.
In Pakistan, Panjwar was involved in drugs and weapons smuggling, arms training to youths and other subversive activities. India designated him a terrorist in July 2020 under the UAPA.
According to reports, Panjwar was gunned down by two unidentified bike-borne assassins while he was out on morning walk in Lahore’s residential neighbourhood of Nawab Town. While Panjwar —shot in the head — died on the spot, his guard was wounded. According to a PTI report, Panjwar was pronounced dead on arrival by doctors at a hospital. The guard succumbed later in the day, the agency added, quoting a police officer.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Lahore officials claimed Panjwar was aPakistani Sikh and had nothing to do with any separatist movement in India. Pakistani media outlets hushed up the news of his death, with even local websites blacking it out.
(Inputs from Omer Farooq Khan in Islamabad)
The native of Panjwar village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district joined the outfit in 1986. He faced several cases in the state and fled to Pakistan in 1990 with the help of its spy agency ISI, which allegedly provided him a safe house in Lahore and a new identity: Malik Sardar Singh.
In Pakistan, Panjwar was involved in drugs and weapons smuggling, arms training to youths and other subversive activities. India designated him a terrorist in July 2020 under the UAPA.
According to reports, Panjwar was gunned down by two unidentified bike-borne assassins while he was out on morning walk in Lahore’s residential neighbourhood of Nawab Town. While Panjwar —shot in the head — died on the spot, his guard was wounded. According to a PTI report, Panjwar was pronounced dead on arrival by doctors at a hospital. The guard succumbed later in the day, the agency added, quoting a police officer.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Lahore officials claimed Panjwar was aPakistani Sikh and had nothing to do with any separatist movement in India. Pakistani media outlets hushed up the news of his death, with even local websites blacking it out.
(Inputs from Omer Farooq Khan in Islamabad)