Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "unacceptable interference" and "ill-informed” statements on Indian farmers' protest have come in for a sharp criticism at home as well. Tarek Fatah, a Pakistani-Canadian journalist and author, has slammed Trudeau for his double standards on continously ignoring the massive human rights violations in Pakistan and instead engaging in a undignified political game by commenting on India to please the 1.3 million Indians in Canada, most of them Sikhs.
"Right next-door to India lies the Islamic State of Pakistan, ruled by a corrupt authoritarian military and a puppet prime minister. Millions have taken to the streets in Karachi, Peshawar and Multan demanding the end of military rule and freedom for tens of thousands of activists who are referred to as victims of “enforced disappearances.” I've never heard Trudeau or any of his minions speak a single word about “standing up for peaceful protest” in Pakistan," Fatah wrote in an article in Toronto Sun, titled 'Trudeau’s hypocrisy on India protests speaks volumes.'
"In fact, the military authorities on Tuesday flooded the vast venue of a planned anti-government protest in the city of Lahore in an effort to stop the peaceful rally and protest. Will Trudeau speak up or does his “anywhere around the world” pledge exclude Islamic dictatorships from carrying out human rights violations and crimes against humanity?" questioned Fatah. The author compared the present situation to the Irish American support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the 1970s which gave birth to Irish terrorism in many forms.
"Along similar lines, it’s noteworthy to consider those Sikhs in Canada who want a breakup of India into an independent Sikh state of Khalistan, a movement alleged to have covert backing of Pakistan. It’s also important to discuss the influence some members of Canada’s Sikh community appear to have over our current government, the Liberal Party caucus and, most importantly, on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as on NDP leader Jagmeet Singh," said Fatah.
The noted journalist, who has been heckled and attacked by Pakistani fundamentalists many times, said that while IRA managed to influence only a handful of lawmakers in the US, Khalistani Sikhs in Canada "have been able to use the country’s PM" to interfere in the domestic politics of the world’s largest democracy, India.
"As a background to the current downturn in Indo-Canadian relations, it should be known that the first shot was fired by Trudeau while addressing Canada’s Sikh community on the occasion of the 551st birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder and one of India’s towering historic figures, Guru Nanak. Speaking virtually at a religious occasion that should have been a reminder of the values of Guru Nanak’s universal teachings, the Canadian prime minister instead took an unnecessary swipe at New Delhi, saying he found reports of Indian farmers clashing with police “concerning” and that Canada would “always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest,” Fatah wrote. He said that in spite of India's repeated warnings and relations between the two Commonwealth countries suffering a massive blow, Trudeau has arrogantly dismissed the Indian stand.
