Toronto: In a recent development, the Canadian government has highlighted Pakistan among the countries potentially involved in foreign interference within the nation’s borders.
This revelation surfaced in documents submitted to the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, overseen by Justice Marie-Josee Hogue.
The undisclosed date document, compiled by Canada’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force and shared with Elections Canada’s head, Stephane Perrault, points out that while China remains the primary concern, other countries, including Pakistan, pose challenges.
Although much of the specifics concerning Pakistan were redacted from the version obtained by the National Post, the document underscored the ongoing complexities in addressing interference from various nations.
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While Russia and India were mentioned in the document, they were not perceived as significant threats to the election process. India’s focus was noted to be primarily on countering perceived threats within Canada.
Instances of such allegations are not unprecedented. In August 2018, Imran Siddiqui, then Pakistan consul-general in Toronto, was recorded making threats to a Canadian journalist, Tahir Aslam Gora, head of the multi-cultural TAG TV network.
Siddiqui’s remarks, captured in Urdu and English, hinted at covert actions against journalists deemed anti-Pakistan. Despite journalists’ freedom of expression, Siddiqui insinuated efforts to control narratives, stating, “There is a treatment and it is being done…the treatment is being done slowly as the thing has spread.”
In response, Howard Anglin, former deputy chief of staff to Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, criticized the Trudeau government’s handling of the situation, advocating for the expulsion of involved diplomats, akin to actions taken by other governments in similar circumstances.
The reference to a serving Pakistan consul-general in Toronto during Harper’s tenure being asked to leave Canada for alleged meddling further underscores the sensitivity surrounding diplomatic conduct.
In January, the Public Inquiry expanded its scope to include India, seeking information and documents related to alleged interference by India in the 2019 and 2021 elections.
