Logo

Logo

‘Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan, it’s our duty to help them’: Amarinder Singh

On March 25, unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul,  killing at least 27 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country.

‘Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan, it’s our duty to help them’: Amarinder Singh

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh (Image: Facebook/@Capt.Amarinder)

Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh, on Saturday, urged Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to bring stranded Sikh families back from war-ravaged Afghanistan to India.

CM Singh took to Twitter and said,  “Dear Dr S Jaishankar, there are a large number of Sikh families who want to be flown out of Afghanistan. Request you to get them airlifted at the earliest. In this moment of crisis, it’s our bounden duty to help them.”

On March 25, unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers stormed a Sikh gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul,  killing at least 27 worshippers and wounding as many, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the country.

India had condemned the heinous terror attack on the gurdwara in Kabul and said such “cowardly attacks especially at this time of COVID 19 pandemic is reflective of diabolical mindset of perpetrators, their backers”.

“We convey our sincerest condolences to the immediate family members of the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance to the affected families of the Hindu and Sikh community of Afghanistan,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also condemned the attack. He had said: “Deeply concerned at the blasts reported near the cremation site of those killed during the attack on Gurudwara Sahib in Kabul.”

Jaishankar said that Indian Embassy in Kabul was in touch with Kabul security authorities. He said that he has asked them to ensure adequate security onsite as well as safe return of families to their homes thereafter.

CM Amarinder Singh and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also condemned the attack on a religious gathering in a Gurdwara in Kabul. Amarinder Singh described the attack as extremely “tragic and unfortunate”.

“Horrific news coming from Kabul where a barbaric terror attack happened in the Gurudwara Guru Har Rai. It’s extremely tragic and unfortunate. Request (Afghanistan) President @Ashraf Ghani Ji to find out the perpetrators and look after our people,” Singh had tweeted.

The Ashraf Ghani government has blamed the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network for the terror attack.

However, the Taliban, has denied involvement in the attack on the Sikh shrine. Though the US and Taliban have signed a peace deal, violence in Afghanistan remains unabated.

Advertisement