Sikh politician Soran Singh murdered in Pakistan, Taliban claims responsibility
Every minority community in Pakistan, including the Sikhs who are reasonably well-off, are specifically being targeted in Pakhtunwala for the past two years
The Sikh lawmaker and former president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), who was also the Minister of Minorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinceDr. Soran Singh, was shot dead in northwestern Pakistan.
Dr. Soran Singh via geo.tv
Assailants on motorbikes ambushed Singh’s car in Buner district, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Peshawar on Friday evening and opened fire, slaying him on the spot as the Pakistani Taliban claimed culpability for the killing.
Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal expresses shock over killing of Sikh politician .In his condolence message, Badal described Dr. Soran Singh as “a multifaceted personality being a member of Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and Evacuee Trust Property Board”.
This is not the first instance, Several Sikhs have been kidnapped for ransom recently. Such incidents surely raises doubts over the safety of minorities in Pakistan especially those who are economically well-off, are often threatened for money that is used to foster terrorism and fanaticism.
Report prepared by Yajush Gupta, Twitter:@yajush_gupta
Since taking power in August Khan has also sought loans from allies such as China and Saudi Arabia, promised to recover funds stolen by corrupt officials
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan prepares to speak at the opening of the Future Investment Initiative conference, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. VOA
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday vowed to hold peace talks with arch-rival India following elections in the neighbouring country, after a similar offer from the former cricketer was “rebuffed.”
Khan made the announcement during a speech at a Saudi Arabian investment conference where the newly minted leader launched a charm offensive targeting potential investors as Pakistan seeks to secure funds amid a yawning balance of payment crisis.
“When I won the elections and came to power the first thing I tried to do was extend a hand of peace to India,” Khan told the crowd at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, saying the overture was later “rebuffed” by Delhi.
“Now what we are hoping is that we wait until the elections then again we will resume our peace talks with India,” he added, referring to upcoming nationwide polls scheduled to take place by mid-May.
Imran Khan, wikimedia commons
In September India pulled the plug on a rare meeting between its foreign minister and her Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of a UN summit — a move that was termed “arrogant” by Khan and unleashed a barrage of insults from both sides.
India has long accused Pakistan of backing militants in Kashmir, a Himalayan territory divided between the two countries but claimed in full by both since independence in 1947.
Delhi has stationed about 500,000 soldiers in the portion of Kashmir it controls, where separatist groups demand independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Khan’s call for peace talks comes as his administration is desperately seeking funds from “friendly” countries, including Saudi Arabia, to shore up Pakistan’s deteriorating finances.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, surrounded by host country representatives and other participants, attends an investment conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. VOA
The prime minister’s attendance at the FII comes as leading policy-makers and corporate chiefs shunned the conference in response to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
During his address at the FII Khan confirmed that Pakistan was also in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a new bailout.
Since taking power in August Khan has also sought loans from allies such as China and Saudi Arabia, promised to recover funds stolen by corrupt officials, and embarked on a series of high-profile populist austerity measures.
But help has been in short supply and economists’ warnings have grown increasingly urgent. (VOA)
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