The Canadian government would not say whether or not former defence minister Harjit Sajjan intervened on behalf of other organizations attempting to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban regained power in 2021. The Canadian Press reported Wednesday Sajjan said he used appropriate channels to relay information to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) about the location of 225 Afghan Sikhs who were stuck. Sajjan’s spokesperson said it is common practice to uphold the safety and privacy of vulnerable people. That meant she was unable to provide information about the evacuation attempts, including whether or not he intervened on their behalf. Sajjan confirmed on Thursday he asked Canadian special forces rescue about 225 Afghan Sikhs after the Taliban came to power in 2021 — a move three sources said to the Globe and Mail led to resources being diverted from assisting Canadian citizens and Afghans connected to Canada. READ MORE: Sajjan requested special forces save Afghan Sikhs amid fall of KabulHe brought forward the location and other details about the Afghan Sikhs to the CAF as special forces headed to meet up with them. This information was provided to him from a Canadian Sikh group that had spoken with them. In Kabul, the sources said the situation was crazy, as evacuation flights were wrapping up and Canada and other Western countries scrambled to bring their citizens out of Afghanistan.Sajjan’s office said he, his staff, and Department of National Defence officials were receiving several requests for assistance as Canada did the evacuations. While he wanted the Sikhs to be rescued, he said he never instructed the special forces to prioritize their rescue over other people. Although Western countries carried out the evacuations of Canadians and Afghans who aided Canada, they tried to help other groups who they were concerned might be persecuted by the Taliban, including feminists, human rights activists, journalists, and religious minorities. Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said the CAF was following legal orders when it attempted to rescue the Afghan Sikhs, as they were on a list of groups the Canadian government wanted it to get out. A parliamentary committee that examined Canada’s evacuation efforts determined they were curtailed by bureacracy and affected by it being one of the first countries to take out its embassy staff, leaving those trying to flee Afghanistan with less assistance. Directors of a charity that reached an agreement with the Canadian government to bring Afghan Sikhs into Canada said on Tuesday they made political donations to Sajjan’s riding association around the same time as Canadian special forces soldiers were trying to evacuate them. READ MORE: Afghan Sikh sponsors donated to Sajjan’s riding association during Kabul evacuationsElections Canada records revealed these directors gave thousands of dollars in donations to the Vancouver South Liberal Electoral District Association in 2021. At the time, Canada was having an election campaign, and he was seeking re-election in Vancouver South. These records generated increased speculation about the affiliation between he and the charity aiming to bring a group of 225 Afghan Sikhs on final evacuation flights from Kabul as the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.
