One Sikh shopkeeper was killed and two of his friends were injured when unknown assailants opened fire at them in Khushal Bazaar, Hashtnagri, on Wednesday morning. However, there were conflicting reports about the number of attackers.
According to a witness, there was only one attacker who was wearing a mask and had a pistol in his hand. He targeted the three boys separately. At around 10 am, Jagmohan Singh, a teenage shopkeeper, came to the market where he had a cosmetics shop. When he was opening his shop, he was sprayed with bullets. “Jagmohan and Parimjit’s shops are opposite to each other. The attacker first targeted the former and then the latter, while the third man who was shot had a shop around 100 metres away,” he told The Express Tribune. “The deceased just rented that shop 20 days ago,” he added.
The three boys were taken to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) where Jagmohan Singh succumbed to his injuries. The condition of Parimjit is said to be critical.
Meanwhile, the brother of the deceased said, “He was just 19 years old and was recently engaged. This is not an age to die.” He added, “What was his crime?”
![](https://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/104.jpg)
The cold-blooded murder highly enraged the Sikh community in the city who took to the Grand Trunk Road and blocked the artery for more than one hour with Jagmohan’s body and set tyres on fire.
Then around 1:30 pm, the protesters marched towards the provincial assembly, but they were not allowed to stage a sit-in outside the building, after which they proceeded towards the Chief Minister House. The protest there lasted until 3:40 pm when CM Pervez Khattak met the Sikh delegation, who announced Rs500,000 in compensation for the deceased and Rs200,000 for each of the injured.
Soran Singh, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf minority MPA told The Express Tribune that their demand was protection for the minorities in the city and across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“In the last one year, at least three members of the Sikh community have been killed in the settled districts,” he said. It is plain targeted killing as these people had no enmity with anyone, he said. “We have only one demand that the culprits involved should be arrested immediately and brought to justice.”
Meanwhile, Hashtnagari police lodged an FIR against unknown miscreants and began the probe. So far, the reason behind the shooting has not been ascertained.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2014.
COMMENTS (12)
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@Zubair: You are naive too. You have very conveniently forgotten the Direct Action Day initiated by your father of the Nation in 1946.
I think even muslims are fed up of Islam and mentally ill jihadi dogs of hellfire now which is why so many are converting to hindu and sikh and other religions.
@Mohsin: In assam it was Muslims vs Bodos, Gujarat-Muslims vs Hindus, Saharanpur- Muslims vs Sikhs. Burma-Muslims vs Buddhists. sri Lanka-Muslims vs Budhists, Moradabad-Muslims vs Jats. all these recent riots were started by Muslims while in Minority.
While in Majority we have genocide in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria (50-50)
@antony: What about Asam and Naga land? Do you have any idea? how would you class that? How you explain Gujrat massacre? If you are in peace that's good but pray everybody does have that peace too rather putting blame on other religions. How you respond to Gratgy comment?
@antony: When muslims are in minority we have riots, when they are in majority we have genocide
@Mohsin, There is no genocide of minorities in India. As an Indian christian I can say very proudly.. IF you refer to muslims fighting sikhs or hindus in some districts of UP that is classed as Riots.. You cant predict who dies in Riots as violence .In your country its not the case .there is no riots and only minorities are killed without warning or notice.
Nice speeches but there is no justification of blaming Pakistan for the killing as it has been carried out by Indians.Yes Pakistan can be blamed for not arresting these foreign funded criminals in time.
@Raj Kafir: Pakistan is for all. It doesn't matter who you are. Indeed such coward acts are condemned Sikhs are as much Pakistanis as others. But what about treatment of minorities in your country. Genocide of non hindus has long established history in india. May I help you to recall !!!
@Raj Kafir: We as a ntion condemn this event and the doers should be punished. However, your comments are naive and forgets about treatment of minorities in India. Even your PM is the murderer of inocent Muslims and electing him into power means as a Nation , you people believe in genocide of minorities, particulaly Muslims.
@John B: you!
Now I understand Qaid-i-Azam created Pakistan only for Muslims. Thank you Qaid, and Sikh great grand fathers who opted for India. Sorry Pakistani Sikhs.
Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, Ahmedians, Kalat community, Shias, and now Sikhs. Who is next?