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As many as 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, will land in Delhi on Thursday as the evacuation of Afghanistan minorities to India continues.
A commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air, will arrive at Delhi airport's Terminal 3. It is pertinent to mention that all the Afghan Sikhs are coming without a visa. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in coordination with the Indian World Forum and the Government of India commenced the evacuation of distressed Afghan minorities - Hindus and Sikhs. SGPC provided humanitarian assistance to Afghan minorities by paying for their airfare. Kam Air, the largest private Afghan airline, flight no 4401 is airborne from Kabul. SGPC will also provide aid to legitimate persons seeking rehabilitation in India. Officials of SGPC and Afghan Hindu and Sikh Community leaders will be present at the Delhi airport to facilitate the distressed Afghan minorities. After their arrival, the entire group will be leaving for Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev, K Block, Tilak Nagar. Harjinder Singh, President, SGPC, and Indian World Forum have directed their officials to facilitate these distressed persons at the highest level. After this evacuation, as many as 130 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs still remain in Afghanistan and about 60 applications are still pending with the Government of India for issuance. Earlier, 11 Afghan Sikhs were evacuated from Kabul to New Delhi, including Raqbir Singh who was injured in the Karte Parwan Gurdwara attack in Kabul on June 18, and the ashes of Sawinder Singh, killed in the attack. On June 18, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul which took about 50 Hindu Sikhs and Taliban members' lives. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI)
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