Peshawar: A 25-year-old Sikh man has been shot dead by unknown gunmen in the northwestern city of Peshawar in Pakistan, police and the victim’s family said Sunday, a day after a mob attacked Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev was born.
Rowinder Singh had come to Peshawar from Shangla district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to shop for his wedding, police said in a statement. “His bullet-riddled body was recovered from the area under the Chamkani police station and sent to a hospital. Police have already launched a probe into the killing,” they informed.
Harmeet Singh, the victim’s brother, told the media that an unknown person called him from Rowinder’s cellphone late Saturday night and informed him that ‘my brother was killed’.
“The government must arrest the culprits as early as possible. I will not find peace until the criminals are arrested,” said Harmeet.
No group has claimed responsibility for the murder which took place a day after a mob attacked Gurdwara Nankana Sahib where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev was born.
India on Sunday strongly condemned the ‘targeted killing’ of the minority Sikh community member Peshawar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan should stop ‘prevaricating’ and take immediate action to apprehend and give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the crime.
“India strongly condemns the targeted killing of minority Sikh community member in Peshawar that follows the recent despicable vandalism and desecration of the holy Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib and the unresolved case of abduction, forced conversion and marriage of a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur,” the MEA said in a release.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned Sunday the recent incident of vandalism at the Nankana Sahib. He said it goes against his ‘vision’ and the government will show ‘zero tolerance’ against those involved in it.
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is a site near Lahore where the first Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born.
It should be stated here that minorities in the Muslim-majority Pakistan make up some two per cent of the country’s total population.
Agencies