Killings of minorities continue unabated. On Sunday, yet in another attack two motorcycle-borne unidentified gunmen of Islamic States Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (ISKP) an affiliate of ISIS-K opened fire and killed two Sikh shopkeepers early Sunday morning in the crowded Batta Tal Bazaar area of Peshawar's Sarband district in Pakistan. The slain Sikhs are brothers and have their shops in a spice market.
Two Sikh Minority members brutally killed on the streets of Pakistan in Peshawar. This is as a result of Pakistan state policy of minority hatred against Sikh, Hindus, Christian and Ahmadiyas. Why no global outrage on this barbaric act? @AdityaRajKaul pic.twitter.com/ODaCUbjJ4E
— Abdulhaq Omeri (@AbdulhaqOmeri) May 15, 2022
According to Peshawar police, the victims, identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38), died on the spot.
The two Sikhs that have been killed are identified as Kanwaljeet Sigh and Ranjeet Singh, both residents of #Peshawar. The last such attack was in October 2021 in Peshawar which was claimed by ISKP. (Photo Credit 1122) https://t.co/B9s1yNOp8s pic.twitter.com/urMef5GlDh
— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) May 15, 2022
The Sikhs of Peshawar along with residents of the city have blocked the Grand Trunk road, demanding compensation and protection after the terror incident.
Two Sikhs killed in Peshawar. Sikh community blocked road in Peshawar. #alisethi #karachiAirport #asadumarlive #HighSecurityForIK #WeMetOnTwitter #SHOCKING #Terra_Luna pic.twitter.com/TbDqB4n7uY
— Cute Fatima (@CuteFatima15) May 15, 2022
In a message on social media, ISKP claimed that today's killing of two Sikh community members in Peshawar : "The soldiers of the Caliphate targeted two followers of the polytheistic Sikh sect in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area of Peshawar with a machine gun, which led to their killing."
#ISKP claimed today's killing of two #Sikh community members in #Peshawar:
"The soldiers of the Caliphate targeted two followers of the polytheistic Sikh sect in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area of Peshawar with a machine gun, which led to their killing." pic.twitter.com/Df8Pfz6k1Y— Afghan Analyst (@AfghanAnalyst2) May 15, 2022
The killing of two Sikh brothers follows claims by the Pakistani security agencies that they had killed the mastermind behind the March suicide attack on Peshawar's Kocha Risaldar, who belonged to ISIS-K.
As many as 57 people were killed and over 200 injured in the suicide bombing at the Ahle Tashih mosque of Kucha Risaldar in Peshawar city on March 4 this year.
According to Pakistani experts, whenever law enforcement agencies launched an operation against ISIS-K or other militants, such attacks on minorities were carried out immediately
In September last year, Satnam Singh, a well-known Sikh ‘hakeem' (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.
Haroon Sarbadial, a minority rights activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, says there are about 5,000 Christians, up to 70,000 Hindus and about 15,000 Sikhs in the restive province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The new Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the chief minister of the province to take steps to ensure the safety of the lives and the property of citizens, especially minorities.
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.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 15, 2022
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the murders. "This is not the first time that the Sikh community in KP has been targeted and we demand that the KP police identify and arrest the perpetrators promptly."
It also called on the government to "make it clear that violence against religious minorities will not be tolerated".
Meanwhile India has condemned the incident.
“Deeply saddened to hear about the dastardly killing of two members of the Sikh Sangat in Pakistan’s Peshawar. Acts like these clearly amplify the dangers that religious minorities face in our volatile neighbourhood and the necessity for humane measures like CAA,” wrote India’s Housing Minister Hardeep Singh in his post on Twitter.
Meanwhile many Sikh organisations and leaders have urged the Indian government to take up the issue of security with the Pakistani government.
“Tragic & unfortunate! 2 Sikhs, Ranjit Singh & Kuldeep Singh shot dead by armed men in Peshawar today.
Such a dastardly attack has spread panic among minority Sikhs in Pak. I urge S Jaishankar Ji to take up the issue of safety of Sikhs in Pak with his counterparts in Pakistan,” wrote Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
Tragic & unfortunate! 2 Sikhs, Ranjit Singh & Kuldeep Singh shot dead by armed men in Peshawar today.
Such dastardly attack has spread panic among minority Sikhs in Pak. I urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to take up issue of safety of Sikhs in Pak with his counterparts in @GovtofPakistan pic.twitter.com/44UETT0NwQ— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 15, 2022
