India on Thursday registered “strong protest” over the killing of two Sikh traders in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that this is not the first such attack and called for the authorities in Pakistan to take stringent action against the perpetrators.
“We have seen the reports on brutal killing of two Sikh traders by unidentified armed men in Peshawar. Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence. Grave concerns have been expressed by various quarters of the Indian civil society and the Sikh community at this shocking and deplorable incident,” MEA’s official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
The ministry said India has “registered” strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on “the continued targeting of members of the minority community” in the county. “We call upon the authorities concerned to sincerely investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible for this deplorable incident. We expect that the Government of Pakistan, in the discharge of its responsibilities, will look after the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities,” it added.
Sikh traders Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38) died on the spot after being attacked by two bike-borne assailants in the morning, according to the police. This is the latest targeted killing of the minority community members in the restive province bordering Afghanistan.
Following the attack, Punjab CM Bhawat Mann took to Twitter to condemn the incident and urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to speak to Pakistan and ensure the safety of Hindu and Sikh minorities residing in the neighbouring country.
Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also have pharmacies. In September last year, a well-known Sikh hakeem (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.
In 2018, Charanjit Singh, a prominent Sikh community member, was killed by unknown men in Peshawar. Similarly, news channel anchor Ravinder Singh was killed in 2020 in the city.
In 2016, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf National Assembly member Soren Singh was also killed in Peshawar. According to the 2017 census, Hindus constitute the largest religious minority in Pakistan.
Christians make up the second-largest religious minority. The Ahmadis, Sikhs and Parsis are also among the notable religious minorities in Pakistan.
(With PTI inputs)
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