Canadian Court Upholds No-Fly List Order Of Sikh Separatists
TORONTO (ANI) – Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of two alleged Sikh Separatists supporters who sought to be taken off a no-fly list they were placed on in 2018.
Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai, also known as Parry Dullai had sought removal from Canada’s no-fly list after being barred from boarding flights in Vancouver in 2018.
The court noted that, based on confidential security information, there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the two men intended to travel by air to commit terrorism offences.
The Globe and Mail reported that this week’s ruling confirmed the previous decision by a lower court, upholding the constitutionality of the country’s Secure Air Travel Act.
This legislation grants the public safety minister authority to prohibit individuals from flying if there are “reasonable grounds to suspect they will threaten transportation security or travel by air to commit a terrorism offence.”
Brar and Dulai argued that their inclusion on the no-fly list infringed on their Charter rights.
However, the court found the legislation justified and determined that the confidential portions of the court process were procedurally fair.
Judge David Stratas, writing for the three-judge panel, emphasised the necessity of balancing individual rights with national security concerns. He highlighted that the stakes for the government in preventing terrorism and ensuring security are “sky-high,” thus justifying some degree of leeway for Parliament.
This development comes shortly after Canada honoured Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Parliament, a move that underscored ongoing concerns about Khalistan terrorism. Parry Dullai is a close associate of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who runs “Channel Punjabi” from Surrey and “Global TV” from Chandigarh.
Sources indicate that Bhagat Singh Brar is the son of Lakhbir Singh Brar, also known as Lakhbir Singh Rode. Rode, a prominent Khalistani Sikh separatists, led the International Sikh Youth Federation and was connected with the Khalistan Zindabad Force.
Brar is the General Secretary of the Ontario Gurudwara Committee, an affiliate of the ISYF-R (Canada Chapter), and a member of the Jot Prakash Gurdwara Committee.
