MARDAN: The Sikh community of Mardan has threatened to launch a countrywide agitation if the government failed to provide foolproof security to the members of minority communities.

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement chairman Haroon Sarb Diyal expressed concern over the targeted killing of members of Sikh community.

He was flanked by Janmohan Singh, Baba Ji Barsingh and other members of Sikh community.

Janmohan Singh, leader of the local Sikhs, lamented that one of their relatives identified as Amarjeet Singh was killed by unknown assailants inside his shop at Shaheedan Bazaar on Wednesday last. He termed the case an incident of targeted killing, which had spread panic among Sikh and other minorities.

Say they are as patriotic as any citizen of country

“This was the sixth or seventh case of killing of our community member in targeted attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the government has failed so far to arrest the killers and take effective steps for providing us security,” he said.

Mr Janmohan said that they were Pakistani by birth and as patriotic as any citizen of the country.

Mr Diyal said that they were not satisfied with steps being taken by the government for their protection.

He lamented that legislators representing minorities in national and provincial assemblies had also failed to take up real issues of minorities with the authorities concerned.

He asked the government to bring reforms so they could send their representatives to assemblies through elections.

He said that many religious places of minorities had been lying closed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owing to deteriorating law and order situation and threats to minority communities.

Mr Barsingh said that another Sikh trader identified as Har Jeet Singh was shot dead on Saturday last in Peshawar.

The Sikh community threatened to start an anti-government agitation if effective steps were not taken for their security.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2014