Pakistani security forces recover 2 abducted Sikhs

PESHAWAR: In an operation in Ferozkhel area of Orakzai Agency, the Pakistani security forces recovered two Sikhs who had been kidnapped by militants 44 days ago, an army official said on Monday.

Pakistan Army Spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said that one of the Sikhs was injured during military action and was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMC) in Peshawar. He did not disclose the nature of military action but said that several militants had been killed in the operation.

Talking by phone from the CMH Peshawar, Ram Singh, the elder brother of injured Surjeet Singh, said that his brother was in stable condition after suffering gunshots during the rescue operation. He said the doctors had conducted a successful operation and recovered two bullets from his body.

About the release of his brother, he said that they did not know how the abducted Sikhs were freed from the captivity of the militants. “I only know that my brother and his colleague had been brought by Pakistan Army to Peshawar,” he said.

About any payment to the militants, he said that the captors had not demanded any ransom from them. He thanked President Asif Zardari, Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani for helping in recovery of the two Sikhs.

The Ferozkhel area from where the Sikhs were recovered had been dominated by militants of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Nazir Afridi, Adnan Afridi and Tariq Afridi, official sources said, adding that Tariq was the head of the TTP Khyber Agency chapter.

Family sources of the kidnapped Sikhs said that militants belonging to the TTP had kidnapped Jaspaal Singh, Surjeet Singh and Gorvinder Singh, residents of Dabgari Peshawar, from Mothrah Akakhel some 44 days ago when they were on their way to Medan in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency in connection with their business.

Sources revealed that three other Sikhs companions of the kidnapped Sikhs escaped the kidnapping attempt. The militants demanded Rs30 million for the release of the abducted persons and gave February 20 deadline for the payment of ransom.

The Sikh community, however, reported the case to the banned militant organisation Lashker-e-Islam (LI) and sought its help in securing the release of their fellow Sikhs as they had been abducted from area under the control of LI and the militant organisation had imposed a tax on Sikh community and promised them protection in return in Khyber Agency.

An elder of Sikh community said on condition of anonymity that LI had been dealing with the case but it failed to protect and recover the abducted Sikhs. Militants beheaded Jaspal Sing son of Payaro Singh, one of the three kidnapped Sikhs, on February 21 after the deadline for ransom of Rs30 million expired. The militants then dumped the beheaded body of Jaspal Singh in Tanda area of Orakzai Agency from where his relatives received his body.