Canada said on Monday that Pakistan could interfere in its April 28 general election to counter India’s “growing global impact”. Vanessa Lloyd, Deputy Director of Operations at Canadian Safety Intelligence Service (CSIS), said that Islamabad could conduct foreign intervention activities against Canada.
“The government of Pakistan can potentially conduct foreign intervention activities against Canada, which is in line with its strategic objectives to promote political, security and economic stability in Pakistan and fight India’s growing global impact,” he said at a press conference.
Ms. Lloyd also said that New Delhi can intervene in the election.
“We have also seen that the Government of India has the intention and ability to intervene in Canadian communities and democratic processes that claim its geopolitical impact,” he said.
Canada made similar allegations against the two countries last year, unequally unevenly by New Delhi.
In April 2024, the spy agency issued an uninterrupted summary as part of an federal investigation, investigating the potential foreign intervention, accusing both India and Pakistan of “cladstine” activities during the 2021 and 2019 general elections.
It alleged that in 2021, the Government of India targeted specific electoral districts, believing that Indian -origin voters have sympathy for the Khalistani movement or pro -Pakistan stance.
The agency also claimed that a government proxy agent may have tried to run democratic procedures through illegal financial assistance for favored candidates, possibly unannounced to recipients.
In a separate report, the agency accused Pakistan, who tried to influence politics at the federal level before the 2019 elections to pursue Pakistan’s interests.
India called the investigation “baseless” and said that it was Canada that was interfering in its internal affairs.
After former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the tension between India and Canada was reduced, alleging New Delhi’s participation in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nizar. India dismissed the charge as “absurd”.
Canada claims that China, Russia may interfere with elections
Apart from India and Pakistan, the Canadian spy agency said that China and Russia can also intervene in their elections, declared by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday.
Vanessa Lloyd told reporters, “PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-competent equipment to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election.”
He said that Beijing is also “extremely probable” to use social media that is to promote stories -friendly stories – and especially to target the Chinese ethnic, cultural and religious communities in Canada using “Clandstine and Fragut”.
Russia has tried to create a “Prasar Network” in social media and news websites that “increase the crelyn talkings points,” she said.
“It is possible that Russia will use these online networks to operate foreign information manipulation and intervention operations directed on Canadian people,” Ms. Lloyd said.
