India registers protest over 'brutal killing' of Sikh traders in Pakistan

India on Sunday called upon Pakistan to take strict action against those responsible for the brutal killing of Sikh traders in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Two Sikh shopkeepers were gunned down by unidentified assailants in the Bata Tal bazaar in Peshawar. Media reports said the assailants escaped after the target killing.

"We have seen the reports on the brutal killing of two Sikh traders by unidentified armed men in Peshawar. Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in response to a media query.

According to MEA, grave concerns have been expressed by various quarters of the Indian civil society and the Sikh community at this shocking and deplorable incident.

"We have registered our strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on the continued targeting of members of the minority community in Pakistan. We call upon the authorities concerned to sincerely investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible for this deplorable incident," the statement added. The MEA said that India expects the Pakistan government to look after the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "condemned" the killing of two Sikh shopkeepers in Peshawar and ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.

Condemning the murder of Sikh men, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demanded that the police should identify and arrest the perpetrators promptly. "The government must make it clear that violence against religious minorities will not be tolerated," the HRCP added. Hundreds of people die in target killings, military operations and various other incidents of high-degree violence.

Those killed include women and members of religious minorities, politicians, security personnel and militants. Intolerance towards minorities by the state and society has been called a cause of concern by the HRCP.