A Sikh herbal merchant was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province of Pakistan.
The victim, Paramjit Singh, 35, was murdered in broad day light on Thursday when he was sitting at his shop. Another person, who came to his aid and tried to nab one of the assailants, was also killed.
The incident has sent shock waves amongst the minority Sikh community in the area.
This is the second murder of a member of the minority community in less than two months, and many victims has fallen prey to the bullets in the recent pasts.
Earlier, two Sikhs were abducted at gun point from Dera Ismail Khan and there is no news about their whereabouts.
Sikhs traders are living in fear because they are being asked to pay jaziya (a tax paid by minority religious group), and those who refuse, are killed.
The area is infested with the gun-toting fundamentalists, including Taliban who roam around in the area freely. There are more than 25000 Sikhs living in the area, and recently had been facing violence, abduction and ransom from the terrorists groups.
Swaran Singh, a member of the provincial assembly and former President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, informed that he himself went to the place and brought the body back at Peshawar.
He said North West Frontier Province chief Minister Parvez Khattak has taken a personal interest in the killing of the Sikh gentleman and has assured security to the minority community and safety of their properties.
with thanks : Business Standard : LINK
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