MARDAN: Punjab’s Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora has urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to uncover the motives behind the brutal murder of a Sikh couple in Mardan and to ensure protection of minority communities and their places of worship throughout the province.
He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police should also assess the mental state and attitudes of its personnel to help prevent such tragic incidents in the future. He was addressing a press conference here the other day alongside minority member of the provincial assembly Suresh Kumar and Pakistan Muslim League (N) district president Syed Inayat Shah Bacha.
Earlier, Sardar Ramesh Singh met with Mardan DIGQasim Ali Khan and DPO Masood Ahmad, where they discussed the investigation into the case and the progress made so far.
He also attended a prayer ceremony organised by the Sikh community at a gurdwara and met the daughter of the deceased couple to express his condolences.
Sardar Ramesh Singh said that a significant Sikh population once lived in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but their number has steadily declined due to various circumstances.
He noted that the incident in Mardan’s Babu Mohalla had not only damaged Pakistan’s international image but had also received extensive coverage in the global media, causing widespread concern and anger among Sikh communities around the world.
He said that the DIG and DPO had assured him that the arrested suspect was being investigated fairly and on merit and that efforts would be made to ensure the accused received punishment in accordance with the law.
He demanded that the scope of the investigation bebroadened to reveal all underlying motives and possible factors behind the crime.
Questioning the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial minister asked why such incidents continue to occurinthe province andto what extent the government is fulfilling its responsibility to protect citizens, particularly minorities.
He emphasised that the incident cannot simply be dismissed as the personal act of an individual; rather, all aspects of the case must be thoroughly investigated.
He further stated that individuals holding extremist views should be kept away from minority places of worship.
He also demanded complete security for the family members of the deceased Sikh couple and for those who played a role in registering the case.
He urged both the federal and provincial governments to adopt a joint strategy to eliminate terrorism and extremism from the country and to make the protection of all citizens, without discrimination, their top priority.