Federal prosecutors on Monday said a Pakistani living in New York wired money and tried to send foot soldiers to a Sikh militant organisation aimed at violently forcing India’s government into letting the group form its own state. Khalid Awan knew the $25,000 that two Sikh businessmen gave him to transfer to a Khalistan Commando Force leader in 2001 “was for bad things and that innocent people would die,” federal prosecutor Lawrence Ferazani said. Ferazani spoke in Brooklyn federal court during opening arguments of Awan’s trial on counts of providing material support or resources to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists and money laundering to promote terrorism.
If convicted on all counts, Awan faces a maximum of 55 years in prison. Awan was detained shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks as a material witness. While in prison, Ferazani said Awan recruited fellow inmate Harjit Singh to join the Khalistan Commando Force by introducing him to leader Paramjit Singh Panjwar through phone calls from the prison.