WSO Deeply Concerned by Killing of Sikh Traders in Pakistan

Ottawa (May 16, 2022):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada is deeply concerned by the targeted killing of two Sikh traders in Peshawar district in Pakistan.  Ranjeet Singh (42) and Kuljeet Singh (38), both shop owners in the Batatal Bazaar were shot dead by unidentified assailants. According to reports, The Islamic State’s Khorasan unit (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. 

This is the latest attack on Pakistan’s minority Sikh community over the past several months.  In September 2021, a Sikh hakeem was shot dead in his clinic in Peshawar.  ISIS-K also took responsibility for that killing.

In March 2020, ISIS affiliated terrorists attacked Gurdwara Guru Har Rai Sahib in Kabul and killed 25 Sikhs, including four-year-old Tania Kaur. 

WSO President Tejinder Singh Sidhu said today,

“We are deeply concerned for the safety of Pakistan’s Sikh community.  ISIS-K continues to target Sikhs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  We have been in touch with members of Pakistan’s Sikh community and they are feeling vulnerable and unsafe.  They do not know if they will return home safely, if they go out. 

We call on the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the Sikh community and to bring those responsible for these killings to justice. 

We have seen a tragic exodus of Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan because of targeted attacks and discrimination and it would be catastrophic to see the same happen in Pakistan.”

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs, as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights of all individuals.