KABUL – Sardar Pritpal Singh Pal, an Afghan Sikh leader was killed in
a suicide attack last week which claimed the lives of 23 people and
left 60 injured. The news of his death has shocked the Sikh and Hindu
communities in Afghanistan.
A Taliban suicide bomber struck a wedding party of the daughter of
Afghan MP Ahmad Khan Samangani on Saturday, 14th of July, at a Marriage
Hall in Aybak, the capital of Samangan province of Northern
Afghanistan.The MP was among the 23 killed.
Singh, a devout Sikh, a known Social activist, an outspoken community
leader and a political aspirant had fought last general elections to
parliament of Afghanistan.
Singh ran as an Independent candidate from the Kabul province for a
seat in Afghanistan’s Wolesi Jirga, the 250-seat Lower House of
Parliament, in the 2010 elections.
Before taking part in the elections two years ago Singh was in the
Afghan Army under the rule of Najibullah, 22 years ago. He retired after
a leg and eye injury and went on to become a unani doctor.
Singh had once said, “It was a misconception that all Afghan Sikhs
and Hindus are Punjabis who moved to Afghanistan from India years ago.
In fact, many members of this community consider themselves to be the
original Afghans who never converted to Islam. And this sense of
rootedness only gives their pursuit of governmental representation in
Afghanistan more zeal”.
Singh who ran a Greaco-Arabic medicine shop (Unani Dawakhana)
established by his father who moved from Paktia to Kabul was frustrated
with the current Afghan government and as he entered the electoral field
he said, “I’m running for parliament for the service of all of
Afghanistan.”
“I want to serve people regardless of religion. I’m an Afghan,” said,
the then 46-year-old Pal during an interview with the media. He was a
native of the Pashtun-majority province of Paktia where his parents were
born.
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