Militants occupy houses, shops of Sikh community

KALAYA: Armed militants Tuesday forcibly occupied three houses and 10 shops of the Sikh community in Orakzai Agency who failed to arrange the unrealistic protection money.

Sources said the houses of Sikh cloth merchants were located in the Qasimkhel while the shops were in the Ferozkhel area of Kalaya tehsil. The hapless 24-memeber family headed by Kalyan Singh was given shelter as a Pakhtun tradition by the Manikhel tribe who vowed to protect them against the odds after their forcible expulsion.

Sources said the Sikhs were forced to leave their homes leaving everything behind. Earlier, Kalyan Singh was kidnapped by armed militants 15 days back and after the intervention of the jirga of ulema and elders he was released.

However, his release was conditional as he was directed to arrange Rs13 million during the stipulated time. Kalyan Singh paid Rs3.5 million to his kidnappers while he could not arrange for the rest of the ransom as it was beyond his means. In return, the militants occupied the houses and shops of the family.

Sikhs had been living in the area for over a hundred of years and even after the partition of the sub-continent they did not move anywhere but preferred to stay in the area. Local residents of the area strongly condemned the move of the armed persons and termed it an inhuman act and against the rights of the minorities besides earning bad name for millions of Muslims of the country. The tribesmen of Manikhel later announced to protect the displaced Sikhs and gave refuge to all of the 24 Sikhs.

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