UK cracks down on Khalistani terrorists, sanctions Babbar Akali Lehar and Gurpreet Rehal under Indian pressure

London (The Uttam Hindu): The impact of India's continued diplomatic pressure is now clearly visible in Britain. The British government has taken a historic and tough step against Khalistani terrorism by imposing strict sanctions on the terrorist organization Babbar Akali Lehar and its associate Gurpreet Singh Rehal. This action, taken on December 4, is aimed at breaking the backbone of extremists abusing Britain's financial system. This is being considered a new and strong beginning in anti-terrorism cooperation between India and Britain, which will deal a severe blow to the network of the banned organization Babbar Khalsa International.

The UK government has taken this major action under the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) Regulations 2019. Under this, all UK-based assets, funds, and financial resources of Gurpreet Singh Rehal and Babbar Akali Lehar have been frozen with immediate effect. Furthermore, sanctions have also been imposed on companies linked to Rehal: Saving Punjab CIC, Whitehawk Consultations Limited, and Loha Designs. No British citizen or entity will be able to engage in any financial transactions with them. The government has also barred Rehal from becoming a director or participating in the management of any company. Violators of these sanctions face up to seven years in prison or a hefty fine of up to £1 million. This is the first time the UK has used its domestic counter-terrorism legislation specifically to curb the funding of Khalistani militant groups.

Gurpreet Singh Rehal and his organization face serious allegations that they were actively working for Babbar Khalsa International, which is involved in anti-India activities. A British government investigation found that these elements were involved in activities such as conducting recruitment drives for terrorist groups, raising funds, and assisting in the procurement of weapons and military equipment. Babbar Akali Lehar is considered an affiliate of Babbar Khalsa, which is notorious for spreading violence and hatred in the name of the Khalistan movement.

In response to this action, UK Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby KC MP issued a strong message, stating that her government would not tolerate the exploitation of Britain's financial system by terrorists. She clarified that this step was taken in support of peaceful communities that oppose violence. According to analysts, this move by Britain is a major blow to the global funding network of Khalistani extremists. India has long been demanding action from Britain against the Khalistani network thriving on its soil, and this decision will prove to be an important milestone in the security cooperation between the two countries.