A day after the murder of prominent Sikh leader Charnjeet Singh in Peshawar, Capital City Police Officer Qazi Jameel constituted an investigation committee, headed by SSP Investigation Nisar Khan, to probe the matter.

Singh, a religious leader, member of several religious organisations and a social activist known for his patriotism and activism for inter-faith harmony, was killed on May 29 in what appeared to be a targeted attack, police said.

He was killed in the Scheme Chowk area on Kohat Road. According to police, he was on his way home from his shop when unidentified men opened fire, killing him on the spot. The attackers immediately fled after committing the crime.

Khalsa Peace and Justice Foundation President Radesh Singh Tony told DawnNewsTV that the slain Sikh leader "always raised his voice for Pakistan".

He recalled that Charnjeet Singh had arranged several demonstrations after an Indian minister had alleged that Sikhs were being converted to Islam under duress in Peshawar.

Singh had also been running a campaign for the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

Singh had hailed from Sadda in the lower Kurram Agency, but migrated to Peshawar in the early '80s. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

Sikh community demands justice

Charnjeet's funeral was held at Peshawar's Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh earlier today.

The Sikh community demanded justice for the slain activist and lamented that the state had failed to provide protection to the community.

"Since 2012, 10 members from the Sikh community have been killed in targeted attacks," said Radesh Tony Singh, a Sikh community representative. "The state has not fulfilled its promises of providing protection to our community."

Maulana Shoaib, the chairman of the National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony claimed that Charnjeet had "received numerous death threats from unknown people". He added that it was the state's responsibility to provide protection to minorities.

Opinion

Editorial

Taking cover
Updated 09 Jan, 2025

Taking cover

IT is unfortunate that, instead of taking ownership of important decisions, our officials usually seem keener to ...
A living hell
09 Jan, 2025

A living hell

WHAT Donald Trump does domestically when he enters the White House in just under two weeks is frankly the American...
A right denied
09 Jan, 2025

A right denied

DESPITE citizens possessing the constitutional and legal right to access it, federal ministries are failing to...
Closed doors
Updated 08 Jan, 2025

Closed doors

The nation’s fate has been decided through secret deals for too long, with the result that the citizenry has become increasingly alienated from the state.
Debt burden
08 Jan, 2025

Debt burden

THE federal government’s total debt stock soared by above 11pc year-over-year to Rs70.4tr at the end of November,...
GB power crisis
08 Jan, 2025

GB power crisis

MASS protests are not a novelty in Pakistan, and when the state refuses to listen through the available channels —...