Tag: Peshawar

  • Pakistan: Sikh businessman shot dead by unknown gunmen in Peshawar

    Pakistan: Sikh businessman shot dead by unknown gunmen in Peshawar

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    Peshawar: A Sikh businessman was shot dead on Friday by unknown assailants here, in the latest incident of targeted attacks against minority communities in Pakistan.

    The incident took place at 3 pm when armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at Dayal Singh, a businessman in Peshawar’s Dir Colony area, police said.

    The gunmen fled the scene after committing the crime, they said.

    Police have collected 30 bore bullet shells from the site of the crime. CCTV footage from the shop has been obtained and the police have launched an investigation into the attack.

    The Peshawar killing comes a day after a Hindu doctor was shot dead by unknown assailants in Karachi.

    Last week, shopkeepers from the minority Hindu community were assaulted in the Sindh province for “allegedly violating the Ramzan ordinance,” according to the Express Tribune newspaper.

    About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital Peshawar.

    Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also have pharmacies.

    In September last year, a well-known Sikh hakeem’ (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.

    In 2018, Charanjit Singh, a prominent Sikh community member, was killed by unknown men in Peshawar.

    Similarly, news channel anchor Ravinder Singh was killed in 2020 in the city. In 2016, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf National Assembly member Soren Singh was also killed in Peshawar.

    Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

    According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in the Muslim-majority country.

    Muslims account for about 96 per cent of Pakistan’s 207 million population, Hindus 2.1 per cent and Christians about 1.6 per cent according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates.

    The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim residents.

    The Ahmadis, Sikhs and Parsis are also among the notable religious minorities in Pakistan.

    (Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Pakistani PM calls for national unity after terror attack in Peshawar

    Pakistani PM calls for national unity after terror attack in Peshawar

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    Islamabad: In the wake of the recent suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Peshawar city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for national unity to fight the menace of terrorism.

    Chairing the Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar, convened after the attack on a mosque in the city that killed over 100 people, Sharif said that all the stakeholders should work together against terrorism, Xinhua reported.

    “It is the need of the hour that provinces and the center along with the leaderships of political parties take ownership and shun their differences … We should unite and tackle this (terrorism),” the prime minister said.

    He said that KP province recently witnessed a fresh spate of terror incidents, and therefore needed capacity-building in its security departments, adding that maximum support will be provided to the counter-terrorism department of KP police to strengthen its capabilities to combat terrorism.

    “In the recent attack in Peshawar, the terrorist managed to breach the security check post and reach the mosque. We should not feel hesitant in admitting the facts and faults … The occurrence of the incident due to security lapses will be probed,” Sharif said, as reported by Xinhua.

    “A full-fledged investigation has been launched into the suicide attack, and the culprits behind the terrorist incident would be taken to task soon,” he added.

    The prime minister said that military operations in the past have successfully wiped out terrorism from the country, vowing the Pakistani government would collectively overcome the on-going challenge as well.

    “Many people have lost their lives confronting terror. Our police and armed forces gave huge sacrifices. Our citizens were on the frontline. Their sacrifices would not be wasted,” he said.

    On Monday, a powerful blast ripped through a crowded mosque in Peshawar, killing at least 100 worshippers and wounding more than 200 others.

    Pakistani police said they have found a network of terrorists behind the deadly suicide bombing.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • India condoles loss of lives in deadly Peshawar mosque blast

    India condoles loss of lives in deadly Peshawar mosque blast

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    New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): India extended condolences to the families of the victims of the deadly terror attack that shook Peshawar in Pakistan on Monday.

    So far, the toll of the dead stands at 90 with over 100 people injured, Geo News reported citing Radio Pakistan.

    Taking to Twitter, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote, “India extends its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack in Peshawar yesterday. We strongly condemn this attack, which has taken the lives of so many people.”

    The explosion took place in the central hall of the mosque on Monday at around 1 pm after a suicide bomber blew himself up. A rescue operation is being carried out to pull out bodies from the debris of the mosque, Geo News reported citing an official.

    According to security officials, the suicide attacker was present in the front row during the prayers when he blew himself up. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Speaking to Geo News, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Mohammad Aijaz Khan said that the explosion appears to be a suicide attack and the head of the suspected bomber has also been found at the site.

    “It is possible that the attacker was already present in the Police Lines before the blast and that he may have used an official vehicle [to enter],” Geo News quoted Mohammad Aijaz Khan as saying.

    “About 1,500 to 2,000 police officers visit the Police Lines daily,” he added.

    Earlier, an eyewitness said there were at least 120 people at the mosque when the explosion took place. He said that the injured mostly included police personnel.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan announced a day of mourning in the province on Tuesday after the attack, according to a Geo News report. He said that the national flag will be at half-mast in the province.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )