Second attack in two days: Sikh man fatally shot in Peshawar, safety concerns rise

Chandigarh, June 25: In what locals describe as a targeted attack, a Sikh shopkeeper was tragically shot dead in Rashidgarhi Bazaar of Peshawar, located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This incident, marking the second attack in just two days, raises serious questions about the safety of the minority Sikh community in the neighbouring country.

The victim, identified as Manmohan Singh (32), was gunned down on Saturday, following another shooting incident on Friday where a Sikh shopkeeper named Tarlok Singh was targeted but fortunately survived.

According to Balbir Singh, a member of the local Sikh community, the incident on Saturday occurred when Manmohan Singh, the owner of a cosmetics shop, was returning home after closing his store.

As he boarded an autorickshaw, two assailants on a motorcycle started following him before opening fire. "It was around 8 pm. He was on his way home in an auto when the assailants opened fire. He died on the spot," said Balbir. Manmohan is survived by his parents, wife, son, and brother.

Balbir further mentioned that Manmohan's body would be taken to Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh, where the Peshawar Sikh community will pay their final respects and decide on the next course of action in response to the recurring targeted attacks.

In the Friday incident, Tarlok Singh, another Sikh shopkeeper, was targeted by assailants who fired shots at him before fleeing the scene. "At least seven bullets were fired at him, but luckily he sustained an injury to his leg," stated another local Sikh resident. The attack was later claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), as reported by the local news platform "The Khorasan Diary."

The Pashtun Sikh community in Peshawar, Pakistan, consisting of only a few members, has been living under constant threats of violence, having been targeted multiple times by gunmen in recent years. Cases include the shooting death of shopkeeper Dayal Singh in March of this year, the fatal shooting of hakeem Satnam Singh in Fariqabad of Peshawar on September 30, 2021, and the killing of two Sikh men, Ranjit Singh and Kuljit Singh, inside their shops at Batta Tal Chowk on May 15, 2022. In all these incidents, unidentified assailants entered the Sikh shopkeepers' establishments and shot them dead. The ISKP claimed responsibility for Satnam Singh's killing.

Approximately 300 Sikh families currently reside in colonies around Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh in Peshawar.

Please note that the provided rewrite is based on the given information, and any additional details or context not mentioned in the original article may not be reflected accurately.

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- With inputs from agencies

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