Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada's allegations that India was involved in the assassination of a Canadian activist of Indian Sikh origin in the Vancouver area nine months ago are unrealistic and those claims are doubtful.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said on September 18 that he had "reliable" intelligence information about a link between Indian authorities and the shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple he headed, in the city of Surrey in the Greater Vancouver area in the province of British Columbia on June 18.

However, the New Zealand Foreign Minister, who visited India from March 10 to 13 this year, expressed doubts, in an interview with an Indian newspaper, about the validity of the evidence presented by Canada in this regard.

He confirmed that "as a lawyer by training, I look at the matter and say: 'Where is the file? Where is the evidence? Where is the discovery here, now?' There is nothing!" Peters said in an interview yesterday with the Indian English-language newspaper The Indian Express.

In a statement sent to the media, the spokesperson for the New Zealand Foreign Minister softened the impact of the latter's statement.

"He said that New Zealand's position on these allegations has not changed: if they prove true, it would be a matter of serious concern. The minister (Winston Peters) confirmed that this is an ongoing criminal investigation and it must take its course before drawing clear conclusions."

To allege a link between Nijjar's killing and Indian authorities, Ottawa said it relied not only on field sources, but also on information derived from communications intercepted by the "Five Eyes" network.

The comments by the New Zealand Foreign Minister represent the first doubt issued by one of the members of the "Five Eyes" in the validity of the allegations presented by Canada.

In response to Peters' remarks, a source at Global Affairs Canada emphasized yesterday that "many elements confirm the Canadian version, starting with the indictment issued by the U.S. Department of Justice."

It is noteworthy that New Zealand, alongside Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, is a member of the "Five Eyes" (Five Eyes) group, which is an intelligence alliance.