Indian hijacker can’t practise law, says Canada

TORONTO - Canada has refused to allow the mastermind of the 1984 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to Lahore to practise law.

Parminder Singh Saini, 46, who took refuge here 15 years ago and faces deportation to India, sought permission last year to practice law in Canada after completing his law degree here. But the Law Society of Upper Canada has now ruled that Saini cannot practice in Canada because of his bad character.

Rejecting his application, the Law Society said Saini was unfit to practice in Canada because of “the seriousness of the crime of hijacking, the deception after landing in Canada and the fact that he is still being described as a person of danger.”

In 1995, Saini entered Canada illegally under the name of Balbir Singh with a fake Afghan passport. He has maintained that he lied about his identity for fear of being deported to India. Saini was the leader of five Sikh militants who hijacked an Indian Airlines flight from Srinagar to Delhi on July 6, 1984, with 255 passengers on board and took it to Lahore.

The hijack drama ended after a 17-hour stand-off, with the hijackers surrendering to the Pakistani authorities.

After a trial in Pakistan, Saini was sentenced to death by a Lahore court. But the death sentence was commuted to life term. He was released after 10 years and asked to leave Pakistan.

The Pakistanis arranged the fake passport for him to enter Canada. After his arrival here, he earned a BA degree and a law degree even as he fought his deportation order. Saini, who still faces deportation and is listed as a national threat in Canada, requested the Law Society of Upper Canada to allow him to practice law here.

Appearing before the Law Society last year, he regretted his past and said he deserves a shot at life in this country.

Referring to the 1984 hijacking, he said, “I had no legitimate right to do that. It’s not legal.”

Based on his terrorist past and lying about his identify, the Law Society ruled that Saini has failed to prove that he is a man of good character and thus doesn’t deserves to practice in Canada. Saini is attached to his brother’s immigration consultancy firm Singh and Associates based in Mississauga on the outskirts of Toronto.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)