Pakistani Bureaucrat Indicted for Forcing Sikhs to Adopt Islam

File Photo: Pakistani Sikh children

PESHAWAR, Pakistan—On the complaint of a Hangu resident (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Fakir Chand Singh, the Deputy Commissioner of the region has registered a case against the Assistant Commissioner of Hangu Yakub Khan for forcing Sikh shopkeepers to adopt Islam.

Sharing the development with Sikh24 on December 18, Hangu resident Fakir Chand Singh informed that the Deputy Commissioner of his district accepted his request to indict the Assistant Commissioner Yakub Khan under relevant sections Pakistani law for forcing them convert to Islam.

“The Assistant Commissioner of Hangu Yakub Khan had conducting raids on the shops of Sikh shopkeepers and had asked us to meet him in his office. When the Sikh shopkeepers went to Yakub Khan’s office along with other Muslim shopkeepers of the market, Yakub Khan questioned the Muslim shopkeepers that why didn’t they convert these Sikh shopkeepers to Islam,” Fakir Chand Singh told Sikh24.

“Going further, the Assistant Commissioner Yakub Khan straightforwardly threatened these Sikh shopkeepers to adopt Islam or remain ready to face legal action,” he added.

Sikhs, resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had raked up the matter with Deputy Commissioner, District Police Commissioner and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of them had promised to take necessary action against Yakub Khan.

Sikhs in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced increasing pressure from terrorist forces, as well as Government officials to convert to Islam or pay a religion tax called jaziah.  In 2013, a Sikh was beheaded by the Taliban for refusing to pay this tax.  Sikhs are a small minority in Pakistan, however, flourishing as traders in parts of the country.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here