- UNITED SIKHS has been approached by 70 Sikh families in Peshawar who wish to apply for asylum. We have been meeting one-on-one with family members of those most vulnerable and receiving threats from different groups. There are approximately 800 families and approximately 7,000 Sikhs living in Peshawar.
- Since December 2009, UNITED SIKHS has provided assistance to rehabilitate affected families who had to flee their homes in the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan due to threats from the Taliban and the communal conflict. Read about our efforts at: http://unitedsikhs.org/pak
- We are in dialogue with the United States Department of State (DOS) to assure Sikhs in Peshawar are not forgotten and a solution is found for these families as soon as possible.
- We are reaching out to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC to make sure they are going above and beyond in looking out for the Sikh community in Pakistan as tensions build.
- We have also approached Canadian MPs to take up the issue of asylum for Sikh victims of terror.
Peshawar, Pakistan - So far, 70 Peshawar Sikh families have sought UNITED SIKHS' help to obtain asylum following a campaign of terror, epitomised by the brutal killing of teenager Jagmohan Singh, when a gunman shot at Sikhs in a market area on 6th Aug 2014. The United States Department of State has assured UNITED SIKHS that it is investigating the situation faced by Sikhs in Peshawar.
Jagmohan Singh, a 17-year-old Sikh trader, died when he was shot and killed by an unknown gunman in the busy Shabab Market in the Hashtnagri area of Peshawar, in the North West Frontier region of Pakistan. Two of Jagmohan's friends, Param Singh and Manmit Singh, were also injured when the gunman opened fire on them. According to local newspaper Daily Aaj, Al Qaeda leader Ameer Yousafraza Mujahid of Bajaur and Mohmand Agency claimed responsibility for killing Jagmohan in Peshawar. The group also warned of more attacks until the end of the military operation "Zarb-e- Azb" in North Waziristan Agency.
Following the murder of Jagmohan Singh, the Sikh community in Peshawar took to the streets to protest against the government's failure to protect members of minority communities. Protesters burned tires and blocked roads, including the Grand Trunk (GT) road in Peshawar.
Eyewitness Diva Singh said that the three victims were in their shops at the Shabab market in the Khush Hal Bazaar in Hashtnagri when a man entered the premises and opened fire. Alarmed, other shopkeepers closed their shops. Diya further stated that the attacker, who had come on a motorbike, did not face any resistance and escaped.
Now, on the afternoon of August 3, 2014, Aamarjeet Singh, was also stabbed to death inside his shop in Shaheedan Bazaar.
"The situation for minorities has worsened day-by-day since January 2014 due to bad law and order. The killing of Sikhs in Peshawar has created a lot of tension among the community and the government has told the community that it cannot protect them. The community has decided to migrate from Peshawar and leave this country," says Herdyal Singh, UNITED SIKHS Aid Project Coordinator, Pakistan.
