Following the recent attacks on members of the Sikh community in Pakistan, India summoned a senior diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest against the incidents, sources said on Monday.
Between April and June 2023, four such incidents have taken place and India has taken serious note of these events.
New Delhi has demanded that Pakistani authorities conduct a sincere investigation into these violent attacks on the Sikh community and share the investigation reports. “Additionally, it has been conveyed that Pakistan should ensure the safety and security of its minority populations, who live in constant fear of religious persecution,” sources said.
Spate in Sikh Killings in Pakistan
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed 35-year-old Manmohan Singh while he was traveling from Rasheed Garhi, a suburban area of Peshawar, to the interior city. This marks the second armed attack on a Sikh individual in the Yakka Toot area within a few days. Previously, a Sikh man sustained gunshot wounds to his legs and was injured on Friday. In March, an unidentified assailant shot and killed a Sikh businessman in the city.
Peshawar is home to approximately 15,000 Sikhs, predominantly residing in the Jogan Shah neighborhood of the provincial capital. The Sikh community in Peshawar primarily engages in business activities, including operating pharmacies.
In a separate incident, in September last year, an esteemed Sikh ‘Hakeem’ (Unani medicine practitioner) was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar. In 2018, Charanjit Singh, a prominent member of the Sikh community, was killed by unknown individuals in Peshawar.
News channel anchor Ravinder Singh was murdered in the city in 2020 and in 2016, Soren Singh, a member of the National Assembly from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, was killed in Peshawar.
Hindus comprise the largest minority community in the predominantly Muslim country.
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