Sikh medicine practitioner shot dead in Peshawar clinic; search on for gunmen

Peshawar: A Sikh ‘hakeem’ (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Thursday in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar, police said. ‘‘Hakeem’’ Sardar Satnam Singh (Khalsa) was at his clinic when attackers barged into his cabin and opened fire at him, police said. Singh, who received four bullets, died instantly, they said. The killers managed to escape from the crime scene. Police team rushed to the site and encircled the area to nab the culprits. The reason behind the murder has not been ascertained yet. Singh, a well-known figure in the Sikh community of Peshawar, was running his clinic ‘Dharmandar Pharmacy’ on Charsadda Road. About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighborhood of the provincial capital. Most of the Sikh community members in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also run pharmacies. The police is investigating the matter from different angles and possibility of terrorism is also being probed. In 2018, Charanjit Singh, a prominent Sikh community member, was killed by unknown men in Peshawar. Similarly, news channel anchor Ravinder Singh was killed in 2020 in the city. In 2016, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf National Assembly member Soren Singh was killed in Peshawar. According to the 2017 census, Hindus constitute the largest religious minority in Pakistan. Christians make up the second largest religious minority. The Ahmadis, Sikhs and Parsis are also among the notable religious minorities in Pakistan.