Peshawar,Pakistan: An eminent member of the Sikh community Dr Suran Singh has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan. According to various sources, he was assassinated in Buner District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday 22nd April 2016.
He was a well-known Doctor, TV anchor, Politician and Minister of Minorities of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. He was also the adviser to the provincial chief minister for minority affairs. Fearlessly championing for the rights of Internally Displaced People during the war with Taliban in 2009 and a volunteer of United Sikhs, Dr Suran Singh brought the voice of the Pakistani minority community to the fore-front. You can see him in this video working with the United Sikhs volunteers in 2009 at the base camp in Panja Saheb Gurudwara in Pakistan.
According to The Express Tribune of Pakistan, “Dr. Suran Singh was indiscriminately fired upon by gunmen riding two motorbikes, which killed him on the spot”.
Dr. Suran Singh had joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2011 and was the PTI Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA), elected from District Buner. Before joining the PTI, he was also a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan for nine years. He had many further responsibilities he was also a member of the Tehsil council, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Evacuee Trust Property Board. Dr. Suran Singh had also hosted a TV programme ‘Za Hum Pakistani Yam’ for three and a half years with the Khyber News.
“This is a great loss for all and not just the Sikh community as Dr. Suran Singh was a staunch advocate of civil and religious rights of all minority communities in Pakistan. He fought for the civil and religious rights and liberties of not only the minority Sikh community in Pakistan, but also the Hindus and Christians of Pakistan. As we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Suran Singh. We demand the Pakistani Government to ensure the safety of the Sikh community and also of other minority communities, and to take strong immediate actions to curb these unacceptable killings of members of minority communities in Pakistan and to bring the perpetrators to justice”, said Herdyal Singh, UNITED SIKHS Pakistan Co-ordinator.