Five years after the Doha Accord, the Taliban have broken key commitments: 5,000 released prisoners returned to combat, 89% of government posts are held by Pashtuns, and women remain barred from education and work. Afghan soil hosts 6,000–6,500 TTP and Al-Qaeda fighters, with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud receiving $43,000/month. Pakistan has neutralized 267 Afghan terrorists in 2025, while 58 terrorist camps operate under Taliban knowledge. Despite the US aid, compliance is minimal. International recognition and support must now be tied to verifiable reforms to prevent further regional instability.
Bishnoi Gang Faces Canadian Scrutiny Over Security Threats
Two Canadian government officials, British Columbia Premier David Eby and Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan have independently written to Prime Minister Mark Carney with a direct request: To designate the India-linked Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization. This push isn’t happening in a vacuum. It follows months of growing concern over transnational repression, rising threats to public safety, and alarming intelligence pointing toward foreign interference in Canada’s domestic affairs.
A Gang Beyond Borders
Lawrence Bishnoi, a name that has increasingly surfaced in global headlines, is not just an underworld figure operating within India. His criminal network has been accused of orchestrating extortion schemes, targeted killings, and violent threats—including in Canada. In provinces like British Columbia and Ontario, where sizable South Asian communities live, this gang’s footprint has become a source of anxiety—particularly for Sikh Canadians. Premier Eby’s letter calls attention to exactly that. He cites recent extortion campaigns aimed at South Asian business owners in B.C., painting a picture of intimidation that’s no longer limited to whispers, it’s now backed by violence and fear.
A Political and Security Flashpoint
MP Jenny Kwan’s letter raises the stakes even higher. She demands not only a terror designation for the Bishnoi network, but also a complete suspension of Canada’s security cooperation with India. Kwan references ongoing investigations into the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh activist whose murder has been linked by Canadian intelligence services to Indian state actors.
Kwan’s letter doesn’t mince words: it calls for India’s cooperation in the investigation and urges a full review of Canada’s Foreign Agents Registry, which oversees the activity of foreign operatives within Canadian borders. She even highlights threats to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who was reportedly placed under RCMP protection after being tracked by an alleged Indian government-linked agent connected to the Bishnoi gang.
What’s Behind the Push?
The recent calls come in the wake of new intelligence disclosures from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the RCMP, which allegedly confirm India’s involvement in extrajudicial killings and cross-border political suppression. This includes direct links between Indian state-backed operatives and criminal gangs like Bishnoi’s, which, if true, represent a disturbing use of criminal proxies to silence dissent and suppress activism abroad. For both Kwan and Eby, the central issue is national security. They argue that failure to label the Bishnoi group as a terrorist organization not only undermines Canadian law enforcement but also puts minority communities, especially Sikhs, at risk.
Why It Matters
This demand for terrorist designation is not merely symbolic. It would allow Canadian authorities to freeze assets, monitor networks more closely, and restrict movement and funding associated with the gang. It would also send a message: that Canada is taking threats to its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens seriously, regardless of where the threats originate or who they’re aligned with.
At its core, this isn’t just about one gang or one case, it’s about how democracies respond to covert foreign influence and protect communities vulnerable to transnational threats. As the pressure builds, the ball now rests in Prime Minister Carney’s court.
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.
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Broken Promises, Renewed Threats: Time to Hold TTA Accountable
Five years after the Doha Accord, the Taliban have broken key commitments: 5,000 released prisoners returned to combat, 89% of government posts are held by Pashtuns, and women remain barred from education and work. Afghan soil hosts 6,000–6,500 TTP and Al-Qaeda fighters, with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud receiving $43,000/month. Pakistan has neutralized 267 Afghan terrorists in 2025, while 58 terrorist camps operate under Taliban knowledge. Despite the US aid, compliance is minimal. International recognition and support must now be tied to verifiable reforms to prevent further regional instability.
The Istanbul Dialogue: How the Taliban’s Intransigence Doomed Diplomacy
The highly anticipated Istanbul dialogue, facilitated by Turkey and Qatar, has ended in deadlock. The Taliban’s refusal to act against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their introduction of provocative counter-demands have effectively derailed the diplomatic process, underscoring the ideological rigidity driving Kabul’s foreign policy.
Centralized Power and the Core–Periphery Divide in Afghanistan
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s return in 2021 brought rapid consolidation of power, but also the revival of a historical flaw. By concentrating authority in the hands of southern Pashtun elites, the Taliban have recreated the core–periphery divide that has destabilized every Afghan regime since the 19th century. This hyper-centralization, rooted in ethnic exclusivity and Kandahar dominance, risks a repeat of past collapses as non-Pashtun regions turn toward functional autonomy.
Broken Promises: The Taliban’s Betrayal of Global Commitments
Nearly three years after seizing power, the Taliban’s systematic violation of their international commitments under the 2020 Doha Accord has transformed Afghanistan into a sanctuary for terrorism, entrenched an autocratic regime, and institutionalized gender apartheid. Beyond moral failure, this deceit poses a grave threat to regional stability, international counterterrorism efforts, and the credibility of global diplomacy. Holding the regime accountable is now a strategic necessity, not a choice.
Do You Remember 6/11/ 1947?: A Forgotten Jammu Genocide and the Continuing Erasure of Kashmiriyat
On November 6, 1947, one of South Asia’s earliest genocides unfolded in Jammu, where hundreds of thousands of Muslims were massacred or forced to flee. Yet, unlike other global tragedies, this atrocity remains buried in silence. The Jammu Genocide not only reshaped the region’s demography but laid the foundation for India’s ongoing campaign of identity erasure in Kashmir. From demographic engineering to cultural censorship, the spirit of Kashmiriyat continues to face systematic annihilation.