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Beheading of Sikhs by Taliban condemned

By The Assam Tribune

GUWAHATI, Feb 23 � Members of the Committee of Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Fancy Bazar and Sikh Sangat of North-east in an emergent meeting held under the chairmanship of Sardar Major Singh have condemned the entire episode of kidnapping and subsequent beheading of two Sikhs and appealed to the Taliban to release the other Sikhs still held in captivity by them for extortion in the name of �jazia� imposed on non-Muslim traders in that area.

The members have also appealed to the Union Government and Punjab Government to have urgent dialogues with the Pakistan Government so that safety of the remaining Sikhs in the troubled areas of Pakistan is ensured.

The Sikh Sangat has also urged the Punjab Government to provide a special economic package for the rehabilitation of the Sikhs from Pakistan and Afghanistan in Punjab, so that they can live with dignity and without fear in future.

It may be mentioned that Sikhs in the region have been subjected to �jazia�, an Islamic tax that is collected from non-Muslims by the Taliban and the slain Sikhs � Jaspal Singh and Mahal Singh had also been told to pay a huge amount which they could not meet because of their economic condition.

According to media reports, at least two other Sikhs still remain in the custody of the kidnappers in Orakzai. One Mastan Singh was also kidnapped by gunmen from the Bezot area one month ago. There was a ransom demand for his release, which was not met, officials said.

Many of the Sikhs in the Orakzai and Khyber regions own businesses or farms. But as the community has come under increasing pressure with the growing influence of Islamist militants, most of them have moved to Peshawar and further east to cities in Punjab province.

The committee has also decided to offer special prayers on February 28 in memory of those killed by the Taliban. This was stated in a press release.

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