The Khalistan Commando Force was one of the pre-eminent, murderous Sikh terrorist organisations whose goal was the eventual formation of a theocratic and a "Hindu-free" Sikh state of Khalistan, encompassing areas within Indian territory, most notably the Punjab as well as some districts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), alongwith the Babbar Khalsa, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK), constituted the mainstay of Sikh terrorists throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

The terrorist Khalistan Commando Force was formed by a former police officer with a long criminal history, Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha Sipahi, who later changed his name to Labh Singh. The Khalistan Commando Force had a fluid hierarchy, enabling it to accommodate any potential setbacks: the undisputed head of the Khalistan Commando Force, until his death, was Shaheedi General Labh Singh. He appointed half a dozen Lieutenant Generals, each independent of each other, with each of them having Area Commanders. As such, the death of a Lieutenant General for example would result in the promotion of an Area Commander.

The Khalistan Commando Force believed in the consolidation of the Sikh majority in Punjab. This in turn would further their aim of a theocratic and a "Hindu-free" Sikh republic. This policy manifested itself in the barbaric and gruesome killings including disemboelling and beheading of migrant Hindus , resulting in a Hindu exodus from Punjab. In the eyes of many, this was justified as a means to an end and seen as a way of protecting Sikhism within the confines of Punjab, if not Khalistan.

The death of criminal terrorist Labh Singh on July 12, 1988 in an encounter with police dealt a knockout blow to the organisation, causing its eventual splintering. Whereas before Labh Singh had been a charismatic chief whose leadership was unquestioned, many of his Lieutenant Generals emerged after his death, vying with each other for control. The eventual result was the breakup of the Khalistan Commando Force into several factions, most notably those led by Wassan Singh Zaffarwal (KCF-Zaffarwal), Paramjit Singh Panjwar (KCF-Panjwar) and Gurjant Singh Rajasthani (KCF-Rajasthani). To make matters worse, each of these chose to be under different Panthic Committees (umbrella groups that directed aims and actions), thereby diversifying and weakening the focus of the Sikh terrorists. July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Another setback to the Sikh terrorist movement was the cessation in co-operation between the Khalistan Commando Force and the Babbar Khalsa. The rapproachment that had been fostering between Shaheedi General Labh Singh and Shaheedi Sukhdev Singh Babbar was put on ice and eventually disintegrated altogether, leading to the overall weakening of the Sikh terrorist movement.

The eventual capture and killing of several of the Khalistan Commando Force's Lieutenant Generals and Area Commanders eventually took its toll and many of the factions were eliminated by virtue of the clever tactics enforced by Punjab Police and the Indian security forces. These tactics included torture of suspected terrorists, urging the families of suspected terrorists to join the national mainstream and the use of the state machinery against these murderous trigger-happy lunatics.

Nowadays, the Khalistan Commando Force is a shadow of its former self. Once feared for its grusome and brutal tactics by the general Indian population and security forces alike, its leaders have either given themselves up (for example, Wassan Singh Zafferwal, whose shameful and meek surrender to Punjab Police angered many still active Khalistani terrorists) or been killed (Labh Singh). The only faction that is still active to a significant extent is the Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar), which operates out of Pakistan. The lethality and effectiveness of this blood-thirsty terrorist organisation is still feared by general population of India, hence the demand for the extradiction of Paramjit Singh Panjwar from Pakistan.

The Khalistan Commando Force, like many other trigger-happy terrorist organisations, enjoys solid support outside of India and is backed by some sections of Pakistani intelligence, Pakistani Army and a rabidly anti-Indian and pro-Khalistani US Senator Dan Burton .Its structure and leadership have been decimated by the Indian Government.