Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir expresses shock over killing of Sikh politician Soran Singh in Pakistan

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday expressed shock over the brutal killing of a prominent Sikh politician who was shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen near his home in Pakistan's restive northwest province.

Soran Singh, the Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Minority Affairs, was killed on Friday in Buner district. The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for the assassination.

In his condolence message, Badal described Soran Singh as "a multifaceted personality being a member of Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and Evacuee Trust Property Board".

Apart from being a public figure he was very active in social service and helped in ameliorating lot of poor sections of society in his constituency. With his untimely departure the Sikhs in Pakistan have lost their most vocal spokesman, Badal said.

Expressing concern at the plight of minorities in the wake of this horrible incident, Deputy CM urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to immediately raise the issue with the government of Pakistan and lodge a strong protest besides taking adequate steps to ensure safety and security of minorities there where Talibani extremism is posing a "grave danger" to all sections of society especially minorities.

Badal has condemned an incident in which Sri Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from the Gurudwara Sahib of Hajishahr village in Kachchi in Balochistan and termed it as "deeply disturbing".