Kapil Sharma cafe firing linked to Khalistani terror network backed by Pakistan's ISI: Intel sources

Kap's cafe, actor-comedian Kapil Sharma's restaurant in Canada, was attacked by Khalistani terrorists on Wednesday night.

The recent firing incident at comedian Kapil Sharma’s café in Punjab is more than a case of local mischief; it’s part of a broader, ISI-supported Khalistani conspiracy, reports News18 citing top Indian and international intelligence sources. The attack is believed to be a carefully planned operation orchestrated from abroad, particularly from Surrey, Canada, a known nerve centre for Khalistani terror networks.

News18, citing intelligence sources, reported that the attack was not random. Instead, it was “a carefully orchestrated operation with roots in Surrey, Canada, now regarded as a key operational hub for Khalistani terror and ideological activity.”

The case took a serious turn after Harjit Singh Laddi, a designated terrorist and senior member of the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), claimed responsibility on social media. Laddi cited alleged “insults to the Nihang Sikh community” as the motive. He is already wanted by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the assassination of Hindu leader Vikas Prabhakar in April 2024.

Laddi, believed to be hiding in DHA, Pakistan, remains closely tied to Wadhawa Singh, a high-ranking figure in BKI, as per inputs accessed by News18. Intelligence officials say his role in the cafe attack highlights a disturbing new strategy by Khalistani actors – targeting prominent Indian personalities to send a chilling message to the diaspora.

“This was symbolic,” one senior official told News18. “It was meant to instill fear among the Indo-Canadian community and global Indian diaspora.”

According to News18, both Indian and Canadian intelligence agencies concur that Khalistani extremists in Canada, especially in Surrey, have aligned themselves with violent gangs like Brothers Keepers, Dhak-Duhre, and the so-called Punjabi Mafia. These criminal outfits, many of which include Indian-origin international students, now act as logistical enablers and hit squads for the Khalistani movement. Their operations reportedly include extortion, drug smuggling, weapons delivery, and courier services.

Intelligence agencies further allege that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the linchpin behind this network — arming, financing, and ideologically fuelling Khalistani outfits abroad. The ISI’s strategy, they claim, revolves around weaponising diaspora grievances to undermine India’s global influence and stoke anti-India sentiment in Western countries.

India has repeatedly flagged Canada’s inaction on submitted dossiers that list individuals like Laddi and their activities. According to Indian officials, this lack of enforcement has only emboldened such networks. “ISI’s role,” a senior intelligence officer told News18, “is pivotal — not only in funding and arming these networks but also in fuelling diaspora grievances to destabilise Indian interests globally.”