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Afghan Sikhs and Hindus call on IEA to return their usurped houses
One of the few remaining Sikhs in Afghanistan, Manjit Singh Lamba, has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to help return their houses and other properties that were taken from them over the years.
Lamba, who is head of the Afghan Council of Hindus and Sikhs, said the majority of his community fled the country after a spate of deadly bombings against them, and after the political developments two years ago.
He said 45 Hindu and Sikh families are still in Afghanistan and that he did not leave, but has continued to live in Kabul.
Lamba also called on Afghan Sikhs to return to their country. At one time, “there were many people, 700,000 families. The revolution came and after that, our people gradually left the country,” he said.
“Currently, a total of approximately 45 to 50 Sikh and Hindu (families) live in Afghanistan in provinces such as Nangarhar, Kandahar and Kabul,” he added.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has stressed that they are committed to addressing all the problems of Hindus and Sikhs.
IEA officials stated that the lives and properties of Hindu and Sikh citizens are protected and they can perform their religious rituals in a safe environment without any worries.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the IEA, said that those who have gone abroad can return to the country without any worries.
“The Islamic Emirate commits to take care of the minorities and the Hindus are also safe. If they have gone in the past years, it is not our obligation, but we invite them to come to Afghanistan; they can perform their rituals and their security will be ensured,” said Mujahid.
Some social experts meanwhile have said that the Hindu and Sikh community in Afghanistan are among the ethnic minority groups in the country, but that various crises forced them to leave their homeland.
Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.
The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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