Sikh Community Relieved As Two Sikhs Freed From Taliban Captivity, Sadly After One Is Beheaded

baljit1699 · March 3, 2010

Sikh Community Relieved as Two Sikhs Freed from Taliban Captivity, Sadly After One is Beheaded

UNITED SIKHS appeals for help to rehabilitate displaced Sikh families living in Peshawar, who fled the tribal areas last year without many belongings and have limited resources to start life afresh. You may donate online here or post a check payable to UNITED SIKHS to a UNITED SIKHS office nearest to you. Click here for office locations.

Peshawar, PAKISTAN: UNITED SIKHS joined a Sikh delegation to meet the Pakistan Minority Minister today to seek assurances for the safety and security of minorities including Sikhs who have recently been targeted by the Taliban in Pakistan.

This meeting with the Minority Minister, Shabaz Bhatti, followed the brutal beheading on 20th February 2010 of a Sikh, Jaspal Singh, by the Taliban, who had captured him with two other Sikhs in the Khyber Agency. The meeting followed an announcement by the Pakistan Army that it had secured the safe return of the two other Sikh captives on 1st March 2010, following a global outcry after the beheading of Jaspal Singh.

"We will protect the life and properties of the Sikhs and other minorities in Pakistan. The President and Prime Minister of Pakistan have been briefed about the developments. Rescuing the captured Sikhs was our mission and we accomplished it. I assure my support to all minorities, " Shabaz Bhatti reassured the Sikh delegation, which included Pyara Singh, the late Jaspal Singh’s father.

The Two Sikhs who were rescued by the Pakistan Army are: Gurvinder Singh, 16, who was unhurt and Surjeet Singh, 25, who was injured by a gunshot fired at him. Surjeet Singh was taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Peshawar and is reported to be out of danger. According to media statements given by the Pakistan army, the two Sikhs were rescued after a massive operation conducted by security personnel. Many militants were reportedly killed in the gun battle.

On 11 January Jaspal Singh , Surjeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh were on their way to meet relatives when they kidnapped by Taliban militants in the Khyber Agency. On 20th Feb one of three Kidnapped Sikhs, Jaspal Singh was beheaded in the upper Tirah valley area on the border of the Khyber and Orakzai Agencies. You may read about Jaspal Singh’s murder at http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-23-02-2010-00.html

UNITED SIKHS is thankful to the Government of Pakistan and all well wishers around the world including Canada, USA, India, UK, Australia, Malaysia, and Afghanistan who appealed to the Pakistan Government for the safety and security of minorities and prayed for the two Sikhs.

UNITED SIKHS appeals for help to rehabilitate displaced Sikh families living in Peshawar, who fled the tribal areas last year without many belongings and have limited resources to start life afresh. You may donate online at www.unitedsikhs.org/donate or post a check payable to UNITED SIKHS to a UNITED SIKHS office nearest to you. For details of our offices see www.unitedsikhs.org/contact.php.

http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-02-03-2010-00.html