The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is a pro-Khalistan militant organisation operating in the Punjab state of India, with prominent members based in Canada, the United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a sovereign Sikh state of Khalistan through armed struggle. It is responsible for numerous attacks including assassinations, bombings, mass murder, and abductions. It is also listed as a designated terrorist group by India.

History The KLF was responsible for several bombings of military targets in India during the 1980s and 1990s, sometimes in conjunction with Kashmir separatists."Bus explosion in India kills at least 14", CNN, 22 May 1996"Fatal bomb meant to disrupt Kashmiri elections", CNN, 21 Apr 1996

KLF was among the Sikh groups that claimed responsibility for the 1991 abduction of the Romanian chargé d'affaires in New Delhi, Liviu Radu. This appeared to be retaliation for Romanian arrests of KLF members suspected of the attempted assassination of Julio Francis Ribeiro, 62, the Indian ambassador to Romania, in Bucharest."World Notes India", Time magazine, 21 Oct 1991. Radu was released unharmed after Sikh politicians criticized the action."Secret Injustice: The Harpal Singh Case" , Sikh Sentinel, 17 Sep 2003.

In the year 1991, Khalistan Liberation Force along with Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan and Dr. Sohan Singh (Head of Panthic Committee) etc. participated in the secret peace negotiations with India in the city of Ludhiana. These meetings were initiated by Union Minister of State for Home Subodh Kant Sahay on the orders of the (then) Prime Minister of India Chandra Shekhar. It is said that this peace effort was sabotaged by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. Former Indian Intelligence Bureau Joint Director, Maloy Krishna Dhar stated in a press report published by The Hindu that "Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her ISI advisers were determined not to let peace succeed. Pakistan's covert war in Jammu and Kashmir had exploded in 1990, and its establishment understood that the Punjab conflict tied down our troops, and threatened our logistical lines into Jammu and Kashmir." The KLF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.

India, in the 1995 era, alleged that Pakistan provided Sikh militants with shelter and support. The separatist movement was largely crushed in the mid-1990s.

In 1999 it was reported that former KLF operative Manjinder Singh Issi, who took part in the Radu kidnapping, became disillusioned with KLF when he realized that its Pakistani supporters were more interested in disruptive violence in Punjab than Sikh autonomy."Pakistan sabotaged Khalistan movement: Manjinder Issi", Rediff, 12 Mar 1999. Arrests still occur as of 2023.

Presence Based on the information acquired from the interrogation of three pro-Khalistan militants arrested on 4 August 2014 revealed that Funding of the organisation comes from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Spain and Canada.

Factions The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) is reputed to have been a wing of, or possibly associated with, or a breakaway group from, the KLF.

Ban On 26 December 2018 the Ministry of Home Affairs of Government of India, issued a notification to proscribe the Khalistan Liberation Force as a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Leadership The KLF organisation (Jathebandi) was founded by Aroor Singh and Sukhvinder Singh Babbar in 1986. Other KLF leaders who headed KLF after Aroor Singh were Avtar Singh Brahma (killed by Punjab police 22 July 1988), Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala (Killed by Indian security forces on 29 July 1992), Navroop Singh (killed by Punjab police on 4 August 1992), and Navneet Singh Khadian (killed 25 Feb 1994). After Navneet Singh Kadian's death, command of the KLF passed to Dr. Pritam Singh Sekhon.

Following Sekhon's death in 1999, the organization remained a leaderless group, presumed dead, though small activities occurred under its name, heading into the 21st century. This organization was regrouped in 2008 under the leadership of Harminder Singh Nihang after the occurrence of many "Anti-Sikh" incidents in the Punjab state by Dera Sacha Sauda. Harminder Singh Nihang remained as the leader until his death in April 2018 at Patiala jail due to heart attack. Harmeet Singh PHD became acting Jathedar in 2014 after Harminder Singh was arrested and became the official Jathedar. He succeeded Harminder Singh until his murder in the beginning of 2020. After Harmeet Singh’s murder Avtar Singh Khanda a UK resident took over KLF. His father was a slain KLF member. Khanda would go by the name Ranjodh Singh. Khanda would die of a suspected poisoning on 14 June 2023.

S. No. Name Portrait Term StartTerm End1Aroor Singh198619872Avtar Singh Brahma198722 July 19883Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala22 July 198829 July 19924Navroop Singh Dhotian29 July 19924 August 19925Navneet Singh Khadian4 August 199228 February 19946Pritam Singh Sekhon28 February 1994March 19997Harminder Singh Nihang2 February 200818 April 20188Harmeet Singh PhD2014 (Acting) April 2018 (Official)April 2018 (Acting) 27 January 2020 (Official)9Avtar Singh Khanda (alias Ranjodh Singh)28 January 202014 June 2023

History

1980s On 12 January 1987, Avtar Singh Brahma, Pipal Singh Toofan, Anar Singh Para and multiple other KLF members were involved in multiple encounters with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The encounters were described as long bloody, and fierce. The Kharkus killed multiple CRPF men and blew up multiple vehicle and then escaped. One of Brahma's targets in the attack, a police Inspector who had killed Dalbir Singh Billa Vapral a Kharku, was killed by Brahma's group along with 7 other officers. Following this the Kharkus led by Brahma killed multiple CRPF soldiers in other attacks throughout the day. On 15 January 1987, Avtar Singh Brahma’s planned assassination of Lieutenant Colonel Sant Singh Bhullar was conducted. Bhullar attacked a Gurdwara in Sri Muktsar Sahib as part of Operation Blue Star. 10 KLF members had broken into Bhullar’s home and killed him in a burst fire. Three others were injured. They left behind a note from Avtar Singh Brahma claiming responsibility. In January 1987 Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow militants fired at CRPF and challenged them to capture him for 20 minutes at Brahampura. The CRPF did not attempt to capture him and waited for reinforcements. Once reinforcements arrived an hour later they smashed and searched many homes in the village. They were also accused of committing other atrocities and faced heavy criticism from many leaders. Avtar Singh Brahma claimed responsibility for killing Pahar Singh and his wife. Pahar was a KLF Lieutenant General. Brahma claimed that they had broken KLF’s rules and began to kill innocents as well as extorting people. KLF launched an attack in September 1987. The target was S.H.O. (Station house officer) Sub-Inspector Mith Singh. Mith Singh had been hand-picked by then chief of Punjab Police Julio F. Riberio. He was picked to deal with Budhsinghwala. Mith Singh had been accused of police brutality and targeting. The attack was carried out by Budhsinghwala and fellow Sikh militants on 15 September 1987 at around 9 in the morning. Mith Singh was shot while he was walking along with his guard, a police constable. Both of their guns were taken by Budhsinghwala. In the crossfire a schoolboy was also killed and 5 others were injured. The killing is said to have greatly alarmed Punjab Chief of Police Riberio. Mith Singh was one of his best and most loyal officers. On 1 November 1987, Avtar Singh Brahma claimed responsibility for the killing of 2 CRPF jawans in an ambush the day before near Kabirpur. On 6 November 1987, KLF killed D.S.P (Deputy Superintendent of Police) Tara Chand. Chand was killed in the Jagraon area. On 12 December 1987, KLF attacked and killed 9 police personnel in Punjab. On 12 February 1987, KLF conducted Punjab's biggest robbery ever with cooperation with All India Sikh Student Federation and Babar Khalsa International. One of Budhsinghwala's most major actions was the killing of Senior Superintendent of Police Avinder Singh Brar and Senior Superintendent of Police KRS Gill on 14 December 1987. SSP Brar and his junior, SSP KRS Gill, were both killed while jogging at Patiala's National Institute of Sports. Both of them had little security. Two men in tracksuits approached them at 7 a.m. They signaled to a third person who pulled out an AK-47. Brar was killed instantly by a bullet hitting his temple, "sending his skull flying". Gill attempted to flee to a police jeep, but was injured with bullets in his head and back. He would die while fleeing and fell on the ground face first. The three killers fled on a motorcycle. Brar and Gill were top officers. There killing was described as the biggest killing since that of AS Atwal in Punjab. It was also described as a big killer of police morale. Brar had been held as the best police officer. Brar had cleaned the Babbar Khalsa out of Patiala. According to Chief of Punjab Police at the time J.F Ribeiro Brar would have become the chief of police had he not been killed. In 1988 Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow militants attacked and destroyed CRPF bases in retaliation for CRPF actions at Brahampur. On 22 January 1988 BJP Punjab Vice-President Khushi Ram Sharma was shot dead with 4 bullets in Ludhiana by 2 Sikh on scooters. Budhsinghwala claimed responsibility in a letter on behalf of KLF. On the same day 6 KLF members armed with AK-47s shot dead 12 people in a park in Barnala. 5 others were injured. One of them was a Shiv Sena worker. Budhsinghwala claimed responsibility in a letter on behalf of KLF. In April 1988 KLF led an attack on Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Professor Darshan Singh. Tohra was president of SGPC and Darshan was the SGPC appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht. The attack was led by Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. At a SGPC meeting at Ludhiana University KLF members under Budhsinghwala snuck their way in using fake ids. They attacked and fought Tohra and Darshan’s security. 5 police officers and 8 members of Tohra and Darshan’s party were killed. No KLF member was killed but Tohra and Darshan managed to escape unhurt. A motive for attacks on Tohra could be the belief of militants that Tohra was involved in Operation Blue Star. At Sri Hargobindpur Toofan Singh and 5 others attacked a police party on 1 November 1988. In the attack 1 Sergeant was wounded, and 1 Constable was also wounded. In December 1988, near Sri Hargobindpur, Toofan Singh and others attack SHO (Station House Officer) Swaran Singh and officers with him. No one was hurt in the attack. On 19 June 1988 under Budhsinghwala’s reign as Lieutenant-General of KLF a senior KLF leader with other members gunned down the head of the Punjab Shiv Sena, Ramkat Jalota. He was killed along with his gunmen and another. The Shiv Sena had used violence against Sikhs which made them targets of Sikh militants. Avtar Singh Brahma was killed on 22 July 1988. He was killed in an encounter near the Pakistan border. One source has described his death as happening in, "mysterious circumstances..." Another says that before Avtar Singh's death he, "scamper[ed] through the verdant fields of Punjab's border district on horseback." His death caused outrage among rural Sikh as he was quite popular amongst them. Avtar Singh had become known as a Robin Hood figure. He is said to have commanded respect until the end. Avtar Singh was succeeded by Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala one of Avtar Singh's lieutenant generals. In March 1989 under Budhsibghwala KLF members killed Thanedar (Assistant Sub-Inspector) Pargat Singh. Pargat had been accused of targeting the family and of militants. He was killed while having tea near a police station. Another officer was injured.ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਘਰਸ਼ in Punjabi by Surinder Singh Johar