Committee formed to probe murder of prominent Sikh leader in Peshawar

Published
16

A day after the murder of prominent Sikh leader Charnjeet Singh in Peshawar, Capital City Police Officer Qazi Jameel constituted an investigation committee, headed by SSP Investigation Nisar Khan, to probe the matter.

Singh, a religious leader, member of several religious organisations and a social activist known for his patriotism and activism for inter-faith harmony, was killed on May 29 in what appeared to be a targeted attack, police said.

He was killed in the Scheme Chowk area on Kohat Road. According to police, he was on his way home from his shop when unidentified men opened fire, killing him on the spot. The attackers immediately fled after committing the crime.

Khalsa Peace and Justice Foundation President Radesh Singh Tony told DawnNewsTV that the slain Sikh leader "always raised his voice for Pakistan".

He recalled that Charnjeet Singh had arranged several demonstrations after an Indian minister had alleged that Sikhs were being converted to Islam under duress in Peshawar.

Singh had also been running a campaign for the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

Singh had hailed from Sadda in the lower Kurram Agency, but migrated to Peshawar in the early '80s. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Sikh community demands justice

Charnjeet's funeral was held at Peshawar's Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh earlier today.

The Sikh community demanded justice for the slain activist and lamented that the state had failed to provide protection to the community.

"Since 2012, 10 members from the Sikh community have been killed in targeted attacks," said Radesh Tony Singh, a Sikh community representative. "The state has not fulfilled its promises of providing protection to our community."

Maulana Shoaib, the chairman of the National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony claimed that Charnjeet had "received numerous death threats from unknown people". He added that it was the state's responsibility to provide protection to minorities.

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