Khalistan Zindabad Force

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The Khalistan Zindabad Force is a Sikh militant outfit comprised mainly of Jammu based Sikhs that advocates the creation of an independent Sikh majority state called Khalistan by achieving the independence of the Punjab state in India and adjoining Punjabi-speaking areas of neighbouring Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan via an armed terrorism campaign. So as to not engender the withdrawal of significant financial and weapon support from Pakistan government, this organizaton does not advocate the inclusion of areas of Punjab in Pakistan into Khalistan.

The Khalistan Zindabad Force is headed by Ranjit Singh Neeta. Ranjit Singh is among India's 20 most wanted persons and is believed to be currently living in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Ranjit Singh is a native of Jammu & Kashmir and the Khalistan Zindabad Force draws the majority of its support base from Sikhs living in Canada and Britain with some support from Jammu.

Since the early 1990's the Khalistan Zindabad Force has been largely inactive but has occasionally made its presence felt in India by carrying out terrorist activity and attempting to carry out strikes on Indian targets, mainly in Punjab, Jammu and New Delhi.

The strength and striking capabilities of the Khalistan Zindabad Force in currently unknown but it is believed that over recent years attempts have been made for the Khalistan Zindabad Force and terrorist groups of Kashmir to co-ordinate their efforts.

In December 2005 the European Union classified the Khalistan Zindabad Force as a terrorist organisation, freezing its monetary assets throughout its 25 member countries. [1]

"Besides Kashmiri terrorists, Sikh extremist groups funded by the ISI have also been operating from Nepal.

In 1998, Lakhbir Singh, associated with the outlawed separatist Khalistan Zindabad Force was arrested from a hotel in Teku area with about 20 kg of RDX.

During interrogation, Singh confessed he had received the explosives from three Pakistani Embassy officials, later identified as counsellor Ejaz Hussain Minhas, first secretary (consular) Mohammed Arshad Cheema and Asam Saboor.

Both Saboor and Cheema were expelled by the Nepal government.

Cheema, deported in 2001 after being caught red-handed with 16.5 kg of RDX, is also said to be involved in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Kandahar in 1999." ^[1]