Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a Canadian and American citizen who is the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan advocacy organization based in New York. Pannun is a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, which advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, India.
Pannun was born in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar in Punjab, India. He graduated in law from Panjab University sometime in the 1990s. Pannun moved to the United States in the early 2000s and became involved in the SFJ.
In 2019, Pannun was designated an “individual terrorist” by the Indian government. He has also been accused of inciting violence against Indians in the United States.
In October 2023, the Financial Times reported that the United States had foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun on American soil. The U.S. government also warned India that it believed Indian officials may have been involved in the plot.
Pannun remains a controversial figure, but he is also a powerful advocate for the Khalistan movement. He is a skilled orator and organizer, and he has a large following among Sikhs in the diaspora.
