RCMP warns Khalistan referendum organizer of death threats ahead of Edmonton October 18 vote

The RCMP warned an American Khalistan separatist leader of death threats against his life at Edmonton International Airport on Wednesday, the second such warning in two months for Avtar Singh Pannu.

Pannu, who is both Canadian and American, acknowledged the threat and requested police assistance. The RCMP was unable to provide specific details of the threat. Sikhs for Justice, the organization coordinating the referendum, issued a statement Thursday raising concerns about what it characterized as "alleged transnational assassination plots targeting Khalistan activists" by the Modi government.

Pannu and Sikhs for Justice are organizing a non-binding referendum on Khalistan independence in Edmonton on October 18—deliberately scheduled for the day before Alberta's October 19 provincial referendum on separation. The vote is part of a global effort to build support for an independent Punjab and aims to bring results to the United Nations.

Pannu previously received a death threat warning from both the FBI and RCMP in August. He was close with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the B.C. Sikh leader assassinated in 2023. U.S. and Canadian police have alleged the Nijjar killing was connected to at least one Indian government official.

A local rally supporting Khalistan separatism is scheduled in Edmonton for Sunday. Pannun told media: "We are going to go ahead without fear for the bullet, without fear for our lives." Sikhs for Justice general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun framed the vote as a democratic exercise, saying: "If Alberta is given a chance to vote on the question of whether Alberta should move ahead with a binding referendum or not, they are allowed. It's a democracy."

The Postmedia network reached out to the RCMP for comment; no response was received by press time. Edmonton city council unanimously opposed the Alberta separation referendum in July.