Prominent Sikh politician shot dead in Pakistan

Islamabad: A prominent Pakistani Sikh doctor and politician was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Peshawar on Friday.

Sardar Sooran Singh, who was also the Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Minority Affairs, was assassinated in Pir Baba area of Buner District of the province, police said. The car of Singh was ambushed by unknown assailants on main road near a shrine.

The body of the special assistant has been shifted to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem, police said. The Deputy Commissioner, ADC Buner and police officials rushed to the site. Singh was a doctor, TV anchor, politician and Minister of Minorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Before joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2011 he was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan for nine years. Singh was PTI Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) elected from District Buner. He was also member of Tehsil council, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board. Singh also hosted programme ‘Za Hum Pakistani Yam’ for three and a half years with Khyber News.