New Delhi: The Indian government has urged Pakistan to take strict action against those responsible for the killing of two Sikh businessmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday.
Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38) were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Pakistan’s northwestern province.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has registered a strong protest on the continued “targeting” of members of the minority community in Pakistan.
Stating that India expects the Pakistan government to look after safety, security and well-being of its minority communities, Bagchi said: “We have seen the reports on the brutal killing of two Sikh traders by unidentified armed men in Peshawar. Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence.”
Bagchi urged the authorities concerned to “sincerely investigate” the deaths and take strict action against those responsible for this “deplorable incident.”
Local police said the Sikh duo, who were in the business of spices, was attacked by two bike-borne assailants in the morning and died on the spot.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan condemned the attack and directed the police to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits.
He was of the opinion that the incident was a conspiracy to disrupt inter-faith harmony in the province.