AMRITSAR: An unidentified motorist gunned down a Sikh businessman in Peshawar city of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in broad daylight on Friday. Dayal Singh was shot dead around 3.30pm, a day after the killing of a famous Hindu ophthalmologist in Karachi.
Sikh activist Radesh Singh Tony said Hindu ophthalmologist Dr Birbal Ginani, the former director of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, was shot dead on Thursday on Lyari Expressway while he was in his car.
Sarop Singh, a resident of Peshawar and member of Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities (NCM), said that Dayal had a small grocery shop at Jamil Chowk in Atta Mohammad Garhi village near Peshawar.
“Despite being a poor person, he used to give Iftar parties to Muslims and yet he was killed in cold blood,” said Saroop, adding that there had been over 10 killings of Sikhs in Peshawar in the past two years.
“Targeted killing of many Sikhs had happened during the month of Ramadan when they gave Iftar parties to the Muslims,” he said.
Dayal is survived by three children, wife and two brothers who also live in Peshawar.
Sikh members of the NCM said the minority community was living in fear in Pakistan and many families had moved to the Sikh-populated areas such as Nankana Sahib, Hasan Abdal, Lahore.
Notably, on May 15, 2022, two Sikh businessmen Kuljit Singh and Ranjit Singh, both relatives of Dayal were shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in Peshawar. Both had grocery shops in Bara Market in Sarbad town near Peshawar.
Saroop urged the Pakistan government to ensure the safety and security of minority communities in Pakistan.