Sikh bodies burn Taliban’s effigy

Various
Sikh organisations burnt an effigy of Taliban at Hall Gate here today
in protest against the demolition of houses of 11 Sikh families of
Peshawar in Pakistan.

District
general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal Gurpreet Singh Prince
urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the matter with his
counterpart for the safety of the minority communities living in
Pakistan, besides compensation to the affected families to start life
afresh.

He also urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Avtar Singh for providing relief to these
families.

General
secretary of the Youth Akali Dal Jasbir Singh Tinku said the Taliban
militants had occupied the houses of these Sikhs recently and demanded
Jazia.

He
said the militants burnt their houses, as these families failed to pay
the tax. He rued Pakistan government had failed to protect the lives
and property of the minority community living there. He said if teps
were not taken the Sikh refugees from Pakistan would be forced to
migrate to India to save their lives.

He
said around 15 Sikh families left villages and taken refuge in the
Minni Khel area in Pakistan. He wanted the SGPC chief to take up the
matter with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee for the
rehabilitation of these families in the safer zones.

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