The Sikh community expressed their anger and anguish over killing of two Sikhs—Jaspal Singh and Mahal Singh—by the Taliban in Peshawar. The Sikhs have demanded justice from the Pakistan Government and requested safety of lives and property of the minority community in Pakistan, especially Peshawar.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the killings were a cowardly act and the international community should raise its voice against it. He said they had already appealed to the Pakistan and Indian governments to ensure safety of their community members. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the Sikh community has condemned the murder of Sikhs by the Taliban. The dastardly massacre shows the disregard that Pakistan has for its minority communities. Chief of Punjab Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Ashwani Kumar, accompanied by BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, lead a massive protest at the Attari border today. Sidhu said Sikhs are not secure in Pakistan and India should take up the matter with Pakistan. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was here to attend the bhog ceremony of former Akali MLA Raminder Singh Bolaria, asked the PM to take all diplomatic steps to secure release of Sikhs in captivity of the Taliban. He said attack on Sikhs was an attack on Indians.
Badal said India should build international pressure and force Pakistan to take immediate steps for taking punitive action against the culprits. “The government should not sleep on this matter. Life of Sikhs should be protected,” he said.
Expressing concern over increasing attacks on Punjabis and Sikhs in various countries including UK, Australia and now Pakistan, Badal said soft peddling of these attacks by the Union External Affair Ministry was sending a wrong message to these countries that the Indian Government is least concerned about its citizens abroad. He also condemned the murder of a Sikh shopkeeper Gurmail Singh in Huddersfield, UK, who was attacked by four youths on Saturday.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Sikhs-angry-over-killings--demand-safety-of-those-in-Taliban-captivity/583131/
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