Can terrorist be lawyer?
1984 hijacker seeks to avoid deportation

By SAM PAZZANO, COURTS BUREAU

A convicted hijacker and terrorist who is facing deportation tried to convince the Law Society of Upper Canada that he's rehabilitated and should be called to practise law in Ontario.

Parminder Singh Saini testified yesterday he made a "terrible, wrong decision" when he commandeered a five-man Sikh team that hijacked an Indian Airlines jet with 265 passengers in July 1984.

"I had no legitimate right to do that ... It's not legal," said the now 46-year-old Saini, who graduated from University of Windsor law school two years ago, and was testifying at a "good character" hearing at the law society.

He blamed his youth, ignorance and naivete for blindly following the orders of an extremist student group.

But discipline counsel Susan Heakes said Saini recruited hijackers, brandished and fired a gun. He threatened to "start throwing dead bodies out of the plane" while conducting 20 hours of tense negotiations with Pakistani authorities after forcing the Airbus to land in Lahore, Pakistan. No one was seriously hurt and the hijackers surrendered.

"He requires a veritable mountain of good character evidence to rebut an act of terrorism, although it is not impossible," Heakes said.

"Over the course of the last 15 years, these courts and tribunals have declared that he is a danger to the public and security in Canada and that he shouldn't remain. How can you reconcile those decisions as recent as July 2009 and yet find that Mr. Saini is of good character and that he should be admitted to the bar?"

Saini was granted a full pardon by the Pakistani government in January 1995. He arrived shortly afterward in Canada under a false name and sought refugee status, living with his mom, brother and sister-in-law in Brampton.

In September 1995, Saini's identity "charade" was exposed and he was ordered deported. He remained in custody for three years and is appealing the deportation order.

Saini said he lied because he feared being sent back to India -- where two of his hijacking accomplices were killed after being released from prison.

His lawyer, Frank Addario, said his client has spent the last decade earning two university degrees and has shown no signs of being violent or an extremist.

"Mr. Saini has done all this while the sword of deportation hung over his head and still does," Addario said.

"He's not a danger to the public. He was released 11 years ago and has fully complied with his bail."

He said his client's rehabilitation should convince the law society panel that Saini "has earned the right to be called to the bar."

Saini justified the hijacking, saying Sikh religious leaders "wanted to alert the world about the deadly repression of Sikhs under the Indian government." The hearing continues today.