Prominent Sikh rights activist flees to Lahore

  • | Sunday | 4th November, 2018

Amritsar: Following threats to him and his family from Islamic fundamentalists, Pakistan’s prominent Sikh human rights defender Radesh Singh Tony has fled from Pakistan’s Peshawar city of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leaving behind his business and property. The rights defender said that due to constant threats he had almost lost his electronic business in Peshawar and went to Lahore with whatever money he had. He had played an active role in securing their citizenship rights, taking them on excursion trips and holding sports festivals for them. When asked why didn’t he approach the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) for support, he said, “They have refused to extend any help. “This was the closest one, which left me completely shaken, and I decided to immediately shift to Lahore, along with my wife and three children,” he said.

Amritsar: Following threats to him and his family from Islamic fundamentalists, Pakistan’s prominent Sikh human rights defender Radesh Singh Tony has fled from Pakistan’s Peshawar city of restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leaving behind his business and property. Tony has now taken shelter in Lahore, along with his wife and three children, and has applied for a peon’s job to keep the hearth burning.Talking to TOI on Saturday, Tony, who is also chairman of Khalsa Peace and Justice Foundation, claimed that he had survived three attacks on his life in Peshawar after the death of another prominent religious leader Charanjit Singh in May. “I had raised the voice protesting killing of Charanjit through the platform of my foundation and had staged demonstrations demanding the arrest of his assassins, but after that I started receiving threats from unknown persons,” he said.Tony further said that in one of the attacks he barely survived after a bullet had grazed his turban. “This was the closest one, which left me completely shaken, and I decided to immediately shift to Lahore, along with my wife and three children,” he said. The rights defender said that due to constant threats he had almost lost his electronic business in Peshawar and went to Lahore with whatever money he had. “Here I have taken a house on rent and have asked my three sons to find jobs for themselves and I have also applied for a peon’s and a salesman job in a shop since I require money for meeting day-to-day expenses,” said Tony.He added that he had won the municipal councillor seat and had also contested the last general elections from PK 75 constituency. When asked why didn’t he approach the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) for support, he said, “They have refused to extend any help. I am also of the view that they will not help since they had their personal interests.”Radesh had also worked to secure the rights of transgender community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He had played an active role in securing their citizenship rights, taking them on excursion trips and holding sports festivals for them.

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