Two Sikh shopkeepers shot dead at Bata Tal bazaar in Peshawar

[MenInG]

Unknown assailants opened fired and killed two Sikh persons on early Sunday morning in Bata Tal bazaar of Sarband, Peshawar.

The two assailants were riding a motorcycle when they opened fire on the victims, who were shopkeepers selling spices in the bazaar. The victims died on the spot.

The deceased were identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38).

Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Mahmood Khan strongly condemned the killing of two persons of the Sikh community.

The chief minister took notice of the incident and directed the police chief of K-P to arrest the culprits involved in the incident as soon as possible.

Terming the incident a conspiracy against interfaith harmony, he said that justice will be provided to the affected Sikh community.

According to an Annual Security Assessment Report conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict, extremism in Pakistan increased last year. The report found that there were 57 per cent more militant attacks in 2021 compared to 2020.

As a result of these attacks, 395 people were killed and 629 were injured, a 48 per cent and six per cent increase in these respective numbers from last year.

Express Tribune

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Unknown assailants opened fired and killed two Sikh persons on early Sunday morning in Bata Tal bazaar of Sarband, Peshawar.

The two assailants were riding a motorcycle when they opened fire on the victims, who were shopkeepers selling spices in the bazaar. The victims died on the spot.

The deceased were identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38).

Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Mahmood Khan strongly condemned the killing of two persons of the Sikh community.

The chief minister took notice of the incident and directed the police chief of K-P to arrest the culprits involved in the incident as soon as possible.

Terming the incident a conspiracy against interfaith harmony, he said that justice will be provided to the affected Sikh community.

According to an Annual Security Assessment Report conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict, extremism in Pakistan increased last year. The report found that there were 57 per cent more militant attacks in 2021 compared to 2020.

As a result of these attacks, 395 people were killed and 629 were injured, a 48 per cent and six per cent increase in these respective numbers from last year.

Express Tribune

Indian media is reporting that the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, dubbed Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K, had claimed responsibility for the killing.
Is there any element of truth to it ? Why would ISIS-K target Sikhs ? What is the context ?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Strongly condemn the killing of our Sikh citizens in Peshawar, KP. Pakistan belongs to all its people. Have ordered a high level inquiry to ascertain facts. The killers will be arrested & meted out exemplary punishment. My most sincere sympathies to the bereaved families.</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1525802225737555968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

India has registered a "strong protest" with the government of Pakistan over the recent killing of two people belonging to the Sikh community in Peshawar on Sunday. "Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a strongly-worded statement further terming it a "shocking and deplorable incident".

In response to media queries on what the foreign ministry called the "target killing" of two Sikh traders, the government spokesperson said, "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."

The two men killed were shopkeepers who sold spices in Bata Tal bazaar in Sarband, police said.

The victims, identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38), died on the spot.

Police had rushed to the spot and encircled the area to arrest the culprits. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital.

Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also run pharmacies.

"We have registered our strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on continued targeting of members of the minority community in Pakistan. We call upon the authorities concerned to sincerely investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible for this deplorable incident," the ministry spokesperson said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had strongly condemned the attack and directed the police to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits.

He termed the incident a conspiracy against disrupting the inter-faith harmony and said that justice will be provided to the families of the dead. In September last year, a well-known Sikh 'hakeem' (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.

The Indian government has said it expects the government of Pakistan to fulfil its responsibilities to look after the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities.

NDTV

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Indian media is reporting that the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, dubbed Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K, had claimed responsibility for the killing.
Is there any element of truth to it ? Why would ISIS-K target Sikhs ? What is the context ?

It's Indian media, they are hardly going to say it might have been RAW directed.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

India has registered a "strong protest" with the government of Pakistan over the recent killing of two people belonging to the Sikh community in Peshawar on Sunday. "Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a strongly-worded statement further terming it a "shocking and deplorable incident".

In response to media queries on what the foreign ministry called the "target killing" of two Sikh traders, the government spokesperson said, "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."

The two men killed were shopkeepers who sold spices in Bata Tal bazaar in Sarband, police said.

The victims, identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38), died on the spot.

Police had rushed to the spot and encircled the area to arrest the culprits. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital.

Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also run pharmacies.

"We have registered our strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on continued targeting of members of the minority community in Pakistan. We call upon the authorities concerned to sincerely investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible for this deplorable incident," the ministry spokesperson said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had strongly condemned the attack and directed the police to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits.

He termed the incident a conspiracy against disrupting the inter-faith harmony and said that justice will be provided to the families of the dead. In September last year, a well-known Sikh 'hakeem' (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.

The Indian government has said it expects the government of Pakistan to fulfil its responsibilities to look after the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities.

NDTV

Were those two sikhs Indian citizens? If not, then it is Pakistan's internal matter.

 

[MenInG]

The brutal killing of two Sikh traders by the Islamic State terrorists has saddened the people of northwest Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and sparked protests by the community members as well as locals who demanded protection for minorities in the country.

Two Sikh businessmen, Kanwaljeet Singh, 42, and Ranjeet Singh, 38, were shot dead by the Islamic State terrorists in Peshawar on Sunday, the latest targeted attack against the minority community members in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

The victims were in the business of spices and had shops in the Bata Tal bazaar in Sarband, about 17 km from Peshawar. The Islamic State’s Khorasan unit (ISKP) claimed via its propaganda news service ‘Amaaq’ that it carried out the attack targeting two Sikhs in Peshawar. The ISKP is an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) active in South Asia and Central Asia.

On Monday, Sikh community members were joined by local people who held a protest outside the Assembly building and blocked main GT Road in the city carrying banners seeking protection for minorities in the Muslim-majority country.

Police have registered a case of target killings and terrorism.

Peshawar police chief Ijaz Khan held a meeting with the representatives of the Sikh community and assured them full protection. The city police chief said the killers fled towards the Bara area where police operation is under way against the terrorists.

The incident is also trending on social media in Peshawar. A local resident, Iqbal Khan, wrote on Twitter that “the killings of two Sikh traders have bowed our heads in shame”. Some people demanded immediate and quick justice for the affected families.

About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital Peshawar. Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also have pharmacies.

This is the second big attack on Sikhs in the last eight months. In September last year, a well-known Sikh ‘hakeem’ (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar. At least 12 Sikhs have been killed during the last few years in the province.

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.

Sunday’s attack drew strong condemnation from India, which asked Pakistan to sincerely investigate the brutal killing of the two Sikh traders and take strict action against those responsible for the “shocking” and “deplorable” incident.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has registered its “strong protest” with Pakistan on the continued “targeting” of members of the minority community in that country.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/w...g-of-two-traders-in-northwest-pakistan-395354