Sikh man shot dead in Pakistan’s Peshawar; second attack in two days, say locals

On Friday too, a Sikh shopkeeper, identified as one Tarlok Singh, had been shot at by unidentified men, but had managed to survive.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone, Balbir Singh, a local Sikh community member, said that Staurday’s incident took place when Manmohan Singh, who owned a cosmetics shop, was on his way home after closing his shop. Manmohan had boarded an autorickshaw, when two motorbike-borne assailants first followed him and then opened fire. “It was around 8 pm. He was on his way home in an auto when the assailants opened fire. He died on the spot,” said Balbir, adding that Manmohan was survived by his parents, wife, son and a brother.

“His body is now being taken to Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh where the Sikh community living in Peshawar will pay their last respects and decide the further course of action on being targeted with impunity,” he said.

Locals said that in Friday’s incident, a Sikh shopkeeper, Tarlok Singh, was targeted by assailants who opened fire at him and fled the spot. “At least seven bullets were fired at him but luckily he escaped with an injury in his leg,” said another local Sikh man. The attack was later claimed by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), as reported by local news platform “The Khorasan Diary.”

The handful of Pashtun Sikh community members living in Peshawar, Pakistan, have been living under the constant threat of violence, having been targeted multiple times by gunmen in the past couple of years.

In March this year, another shopkeeper, Dayal Singh, was shot dead by unknown assailants while he was sitting inside his shop in Dir Colony market. The gunmen in that case had walked into Dayal Singh’s shop, shot him dead, before fleeing the spot.

Prior to this, Satnam Singh, a hakeem, was shot dead inside his shop in Fariqabad of Peshawar on September 30, 2021. Then on May 15, 2022, two Sikh men — Ranjit Singh and Kuljit Singh — were shot dead when they were sitting inside their shops at Batta Tal Chowk.

In all these cases, unidentified assailants barged into the shops of the Sikh shopkeepers and shot them dead. Satnam’s killing was also claimed by the ISKP.

Around 300 Sikh families are currently living in colonies around Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh in Peshawar.