Pak dismisses India's concerns on Sikhs' treatment by Taliban

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, May 2 (PTI) Pakistan Saturday dismissed the
unhappiness expressed by India about the Taliban imposing tax
on Sikhs and demolishing their homes in the restive tribal
belt, saying the issue was of "no concern" to New Delhi.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Pakistan had
responded to India's "verbal demarche" on the issue by making
it clear that the Sikhs in this country are Pakistani citizens
and are of "no concern of India."

"Pakistan is fully cognisant of the issue of the Sikhs
and of the welfare of all its citizens, especially the
minorities," Basit told PTI.

Diplomatic sources said the issue of Sikhs being forced
out of their homes in Pakistan's Aurakzai tribal agency after
they failed to pay 'jiziya' or tax imposed on non-Muslims was
taken up yesterday with the Foreign Office by the Indian High
Commission in Islamabad.

It was also taken up with the Pakistani High Commission
in New Delhi by the External Affairs Ministry.

The Indian side was told by the Pakistanis that it "need
not worry about the Sikhs" and that the move was "tantamount
to interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs," the sources
said.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said
in New Delhi Friday that the Indian government had taken up
the "treatment of minorities in Pakistan with the government
of Pakistan" after seeing reports of Sikh families being
driven out of their homes and subjected to payment of
'jiziya'.

Dozens of Sikhs have left their homes in Aurakzai agency
after the Taliban occupied or destroyed their houses and shops
in the wake of the minority community failing to pay jiziya of
Rs 50 million a year that was demanded by the militants.
Reports said the Sikhs from the region had moved to
Hasanabdal, which has a sizeable population of the community.

Sikhs have been living in Aurakzai agency for centuries
and most members of the community were running petty
businesses in the area. PTI RHL
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