Canada on Alert Over Potential Foreign Interference in April 28 General Election
Canada has raised concerns that foreign interference could take place in its upcoming general election on April 28, with Pakistan and India being the primary suspects. Vanessa Lloyd, the deputy director of operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), has warned that Pakistan might conduct such activities to counter India’s increasing global influence.
Lloyd emphasized that Pakistan’s government could engage in foreign interference activities in Canada, as part of its strategic interests to ensure political, security, and economic stability in Pakistan. She also pointed out that this move could be an effort to counter India’s growing global influence.
On the other hand, Lloyd also stated that India might try to interfere in Canada’s election processes, given its intent and capability to influence Canadian communities and democratic processes to assert its geopolitical influence.
This isn’t the first time Canada has made such allegations. Last year, Canada accused both India and Pakistan of meddling in its affairs, which India firmly rejected. The Canadian intelligence agency has alleged that both countries carried out covert activities in Canada during the 2019 and 2021 general elections.
For instance, in 2021, it was claimed that India targeted specific electoral districts where Indian-origin voters sympathetic to the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan views were believed to reside. The agency also suspected that India may have attempted to manipulate the democratic process through illicit financial support to selected candidates.
Furthermore, Pakistan was accused of trying to influence Canadian politics ahead of the 2019 election to serve its national interests.
While India has rejected these allegations, calling them baseless, the situation between Canada and India has worsened, particularly after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an accusation that India dismissed as absurd.
China and Russia Also Allegedly Ready to Interfere in Canada’s Elections
In addition to India and Pakistan, Canada’s spy agency also warned about possible interference from China and Russia. According to Vanessa Lloyd, China could attempt to manipulate Canada’s democratic process using AI-powered tools, and it could also spread pro-China narratives through social media targeting Chinese communities in Canada.
Russia, she mentioned, has tried to establish dissemination networks on social media platforms to promote Kremlin propaganda, and it is possible that Russia could use these networks to carry out covert information manipulation operations aimed at influencing Canadian voters.