Islamabad. An atmosphere of fear has arisen among religious minorities after the murder of an elderly Sikh couple inside a Gurudwara in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. According to a report, minority communities say that they have been the target of radical Islamic groups for a long time. According to the police, on June 17, 72-year-old Jagannath Wanti and his 69-year-old wife Asha Wanti were inside a gurudwara located in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Then some unknown assailants who came on a motorcycle fired at them and fled from the spot. Sahib Singh, a Sikh elder from Peshawar, said the double murder, which took place in broad daylight, had spread terror across the community.
Speaking to Union of Catholic Asians (UCA) News, he said that the incident occurred on the first day of Muharram, when security arrangements should have been tightened to prevent communal violence.
He said that this alleged negligence in security raises questions on the police system of Mardan district. Mardan has a population of about 27 lakh, of which more than 99.5 percent are Muslims, while Christians, Hindus and Sikhs are minorities. According to community leaders, around 350 Sikhs, 1300 Hindus and around 7500 Christians live in Mardan.
Thousands of policemen and paramilitary forces are deployed to protect religious processions and gatherings in Pakistan during Muharram. According to sources in the Sikh community, more than 25 Sikhs have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent years, with most of the attacks taking place in Peshawar.
According to local media reports, several militant organizations, including the Pakistani Taliban and groups linked to the so-called Islamic State, have been targeting minority communities. According to their fundamentalist ideology, these communities are considered legitimate targets of attacks.
Sahib Singh said that unfortunately today no place of worship feels safe. He demanded a transparent and scientific investigation into the massacre and better protection to minority communities.
Suresh Kumar, a Hindu member of the provincial assembly, also appealed to the police to immediately arrest the culprits of this murder.
Earlier in April, a leading minority rights organization had informed about the brutal murder of a young Hindu businessman in Sindh, Pakistan.
According to Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), a youth named Vishal Kumar was shot dead in broad daylight in Sukkur city of Sindh. This incident happened in front of the people, after which an atmosphere of fear and insecurity was created in the entire city.
The organization said the killing was carried out openly and brutally, raising serious concerns about the safety of local minority communities.
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