Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Sunday expressed grave concern over increasing attacks on members of the Sikh community living in the restive province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.
Singh, Congress's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, said urgent measures were needed to restore the confidence of the Sikhs living as a "microscopic minority" there, and appealed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to convey India's concern to the Pakistan government.
In a statement on Sunday, Singh said, "the Sikhs in that province are increasingly feeling unsafe and insecure after repeated attacks that led to deaths, and injuries to many". A 28-year-old Sikh man was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Saturday.
Singh said that this was the third attack in one month which has resulted in fear and panic among the Sikh community. He said that two people have died while many others have been injured in these attacks in a span of less than a month. Singh hoped both the federal and provincial governments in Pakistan will ensure the security of the minorities there, particularly the Sikhs who have come under increased attack.
At the same time, he observed, the Indian Government must flag the issue for the attention of authorities there. "This is cause of concern in India as Sikhs were being selectively targeted in the recent attacks taking place at an alarming regularity," he said.
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