Amarinder urges Sushma to ensure safety of Sikhs in Afghanistan

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take all possible steps to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Sikhs settled in Afghanistan.

In a letter to Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday, he expressed concern at the recent bombings in Kabul, besides the earlier series of terror attacks in Afghanistan, that had left many Sikh families adversely affected.

The Chief Minister urged the minister to advise the concerned officials in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as well as the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan, to ensure the safety and security of Sikhs in the war-torn country.

"Measures aimed at security, relief and rehabilitation of violence-affected Sikh families in Afghanistan needed to be pursued at the level of MEA in order to ensure justice to them," he said in his letter.

Pointing out that about 40 families had migrated to Ludhiana from Afghanistan in 2012, of which 20 had returned but the remaining were still in Ludhiana, he said: "The issues concerning these families also needed to be attended on priority. This is essential so that the simmering discontent in the community about the fate of these families could be addressed."

He urged a humane approach in resolving the problems of these Sikh families and requested the Minister to intervene on an urgent basis.

--IANS

js/vd