New Delhi, June 12: A spectre from the past is worrying the Centre — officials say there are fresh moves to revive the Khalistan movement from abroad.

Sikh militant groups such as the Khalistan Commando Force, Khalistan Zindabad Force and the Babbar Khalsa International are apparently planning a comeback, aided by Pakistani spy agency ISI.

The security establishment believes that US pressure on Islamabad to act against home-grown terror has partially tied the ISI’s hands on Kashmir, so it is trying to revitalise Khalistani militants.

Home secretary Madhukar Gupta chaired a meeting earlier this week on this issue, sources said. The special secretary in the foreign ministry, Vivek Katju, is likely to visit Canada on June 18 for talks. Most Sikh militants and their exiled sympathisers are based in Canada.

Intelligence sources said there were hardly any signs of renewed Khalistani activity or local support for militancy in Punjab, but there was no shortage of money for the movement from the Sikh diaspora. A large number of young Sikhs abroad are suspected to have been indoctrinated.

The 25th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, during which the army freed Amritsar’s Golden Temple of militants and killed their leader J.S. Bhindranwale, was observed in various cities in Canada and Europe on June 6.