Sikh couple shot dead in gurdwara in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Islamabad, June 18 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) A Sikh couple was shot dead after unidentified assailants opened fire in a gurdwara in Babu Mohalla Khawaja Ganj Bazaar area, in Mardan city of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police officials said; local media reported on Thursday.
According to the sources, the unidentified assailant opened fire in the gurdwara, killing Jagannath (70) and his wife, who were said to be the caretakers, Pakistan’s daily The News International reported.
The assailants managed to flee from the spot. The bodies of the deceased people were taken to the hospital. The sources said that a police guard who was deployed for the security of the gurdwara was not present when the attack took place. According to sources, the CCTV cameras were installed at the gurdwara; however, the digital video recorder was not working, The News International reported.
Police officials said that an investigation has been initiated into the incident.
In April, a leading minority rights organisation brought to light the brutal killing of a young Hindu businessman in Pakistan’s Sindh, raising concerns about the safety of the minority communities across the country.
According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), Vishal Kumar was shot dead in “cold blood” in Sukkur city of Sindh in front of horrified onlookers. It noted that the killing took place in broad daylight, leaving the city gripped in fear and heightened insecurity.
Citing eyewitnesses, the rights body stated that armed assailants stormed Vishal’s shop and indiscriminately opened fire, leaving him critically injured. He later succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind a wife, children, and a grieving family. The attackers, it said, reportedly fled the scene and remained at large — “mocking the very idea of justice”.
“Sukkur, once a vibrant hub, now cowers under a shadow of dread. Parents clutch their children closer, shopkeepers bolt doors early, and minorities like Vishal — a Hindu in a troubled land — live in constant terror. “How can we sleep at night?” wails a neighbour, voice breaking. This isn’t just murder; it’s a dagger to the heart of public safety, signalling that no one is safe, nowhere is secure,” the VOPM mentioned.
Expressing concern over the incident, the rights body said that Pakistani authorities quickly described it as “robbery gone wrong”, a claim rejected by Vishal’s brother.
“Nothing was stolen! They shot him point-blank, execution-style. This was no robbery — it was a hit!” the VOPM quoted him as saying.
Asserting that the tragedy has deeply shaken the Hindu community in Sindh, the rights body said, “Repeated daylight killings, botched probes, and rising criminal gangs have turned communities into ghost towns of anxiety. Experts scream warnings: without swift, transparent justice, fear will consume us all. Civil society roars for action — demand the real motive, hunt the killers, and restore order — before Sukkur descends into anarchy.”
The rights body stressed that Vishal’s death was not a statistic but a devastating loss for his family and a blow to the city’s sense of security.
“Justice isn’t optional — it’s the only thread holding society together. Will authorities act before the next bullet flies? Sukkur waits, hearts pounding, in terrified silence,” the VOPM stated.
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