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Sikhs in Peshawar & Khyber Agency (Pakistan) feel insecure after abduction incidents

January 28, 2013 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Peshawar/Ludhiana, Pakistan/India (January 28, 2012): As per media reports there is a feeling of insecurity among the Sikhs living in Khyber region of Pakistan after the kidnapping of two Sikhs from the Peshawar and Khyber Agency during the last several weeks.

It is notable that a Sikh ayurvedic medical practitioner Mohinder Singh was abducted in November 2012 from his house in Khyber Agency. His mutilated body was later found in a deserted place in Khyber Agency in December.

“The government is yet to provide any compensation to the family of the slain person” The News has reported.

As per reports abductors picked up another 40-year old Sikh cloth dealer from near his house in Quaidabad, Peshawar last week.

Residents said Raghbir Singh, the father of four, was on way back home from a nearby worship place when gunmen overpowered him, bundled him into their vehicle and shifted him to an unknown location.

“The Sikh community is disturbed over the two incidents. They have approached some senior government officials to seek their help in recovery of Raghbir Singh but things are yet to work in their favour,” a former deputy attorney general, Khurshid Khan Advocate, is reported to have said.

According to The News “the senior lawyer paid visit to a temple in the city and expressed his sympathies with around 200 elders of the community over the killing of Mohinder Singh and the kidnapping of Raghbir Singh”.

“The Sikh is a peaceful community and they were never involved in any kind of crime but they have been suffering these incidents for the last few years,” Khurshid Khan reportedly said.

Around 3,000 Sikhs have settled in Peshawar, mostly in Dabgari, while hundreds others are living in Khyber and Orakzai agencies and other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The local Sikhs reportedly said they have lodged the first information report in the kidnapping of Raghbir in the Bhanamari Police Station but no progress has been reported so far.

“The elders of the community also met Haroon Bilour, advisor to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, to seek his help in early and safe recovery of their kidnapped man” The News has reported.

“Haroon assured his support to the community by taking up the matter with the relevant government agencies” it added.

As per information couple of years ago, a 33-year old Sikh IT professional Robin Singh was abducted from the city who returned home safe and sound, adding to the celebrations in Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal where thousands of Sikhs from all over the world had gathered to celebrate the annual Baisakhi Festival.

Before Robin, three other Sikhs were kidnapped from Khyber Agency in January 2010.

One of them, Jaspal Singh, was later killed on February 21, 2010 while Gurvindar Singh and Sarjeet Singh were recovered on March 1, 2010 during a military operation.

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Related Topics: Pakistan, Sikhs in Pakistan

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