After Day-Long Silence, Canada's PM Mark Carney Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack

Last Updated:April 23, 2025, 23:37 IST

Mark Carney’s delayed condemnation of the Pahalgam attacks is likely to bring the frayed relationship between New Delhi and Ottawa into focus.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a rally during his Liberal Party election campaign tour in Laval, Quebec, Canada. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday condemned the Pahalgam terror attack where Pakistan-linked terror groups killed 26 tourists while they were holidaying.

“I am horrified by the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, a senseless and shocking act of violence that has killed and injured innocent civilians and tourists. Canada strongly condemns this terrorist attack. We offer our condolences to the victims and their families," Carney said in a social media post on X.

Carney’s delayed response will likely bring back into focus the status of India and Canada ties which nosedived after his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, claimed that the Indian government was responsible for the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist, who was also a Canadian citizen in the July of 2023.

Nijjar also had close ties to Pakistani spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and was associated with Tariq Kiani, an alleged agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Canada. Kiani and his aide and ISI agent Rahat Rao were under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) scanner in connection with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a wanted Khalistani terrorist. Rahat Rao was later set ablaze by a mob.

Canada’s allegations of Indian involvement in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing was termed baseless by the Indian government. The Indian government had also highlighted on several occasions to the Canadian government that these elements, often with the support of Pakistan’s ISI, were involved in acts that threatened the sovereignty and security of India and urged Ottawa to look into the issue since New Delhi and Ottawa were deemed to be close allies.

Ottawa’s lack of adequate response saw emboldening of Khalistani elements who regularly attack places of worship, threaten the diaspora and also threaten adherents of Sikhism and members of Canada’s Punjabi community for not agreeing with their separatist narrative. These elements have also attacked Indian diplomatic missions and issued threats against Indian diplomats and ministers while calling for violent action to carve Khalistan state out of India.

Ottawa, Canada

News world After Day-Long Silence, Canada's PM Mark Carney Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack