Amarinder urges Centre to ensure Sikhs' safety and security in Afghanistan

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today urged the Centre to take all possible steps to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the Sikhs, settled in Afghanistan.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Punjab chief minister expressed concern at the recent bombings in Kabul and earlier terror strikes in Afghanistan, affecting many Sikh families.

Singh urged Swaraj to advise the MEA officials concerned and the Indian High Commission in Afghanistan to ensure the safety and security of the Sikhs in the war-torn country.

The Ministry of External Affairs needed to pursue the measures aimed at ensuring the safety, security, relief and rehabilitation of the violence-hit Sikh families in Afghanistan, an official spokesperson quoted the chief minister as saying in his letter.

Pointing out that about 40 families had migrated to Ludhiana from Afghanistan in 2012 with 20 of them returning later but the remaining staying back, the chief minister said the issues concerning these families also needed to be attended on priority.

It was essential to address the simmering discontent in the community about the fate of these families, he added.

Urging for a humane approach in resolving the problems of these Sikh families, Singh requested Swaraj to intervene on an urgent basis.