PESHAWAR: Unknown assailants opened fired and killed two Sikh persons on early Sunday morning in Bata Tal bazaar of Sarband, Peshawar.
The two assailants were riding a motorcycle when they opened fire on the victims, who were shopkeepers selling spices in the bazaar. The victims died on the spot.
The deceased were identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38).
Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Mahmood Khan strongly condemned the killing of two persons of the Sikh community.
The chief minister took notice of the incident and directed the police chief of K-P to arrest the culprits involved in the incident as soon as possible.
Terming the incident a conspiracy against interfaith harmony, he said that justice will be provided to the affected Sikh community. According to an Annual Security Assessment Report conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict, extremism in Pakistan increased last year. The report found that there were 57 per cent more militant attacks in 2021 compared to 2020.
As a result of these attacks, 395 people were killed and 629 were injured, a 48 per cent and six per cent increase in these respective numbers from last year. –Agencies
