Following reports that the Taliban had stopped a group of Afghan Sikhs from returning to India via an Indian Air Force (IAF) flight, Delhi Gurudwara Committee President Manjinder Singh has affirmed that they are safe.
“Sikhs & Hindus of Indian origins who had taken shelter in Gurdwara Karte Parwan are totally safe. The News about kidnapping of Sikhs and Hindus in Kabul is yet unclear; but those living in Gurdwara Sahib and nearby areas are safe & constantly in touch with us,” he tweeted.
Sikhs & Hindus of Indian origins who had taken shelter in Gurdwara Karte Parwan are totally safe. The News about kidnapping of Sikhs and Hindus in Kabul is yet unclear; but those living in Gurdwara Sahib and nearby areas are safe & constantly in touch with us @ANI @thetribunechd pic.twitter.com/8zpn7bvl3S
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 21, 2021
Earlier, the World Punjabi Organisation President Vikramjit Singh Sahney had said that the Taliban stopped a group of Sikhs from boarding the IAF plane departing Kabul, saying they would have to return as “they are Afghans”.
72 #afghansikhs reach back safely at Gurdwara Karte Parwan after waiting for over 12 hours at Kabul Airport. All 285 afghan sikhs & hindus are safe . Pray to God for their immediate evacuation Appreciate efforts of @MEAIndia @wpoindia @sunfoundationIn ready to rehablitate them pic.twitter.com/1w22iFlZtB
— @vikramsahney (@vikramsahney) August 21, 2021
A local Afghan news website, Etilaatroz, had reported that the Taliban stopped over 150 people, most of whom were Indians, from entering the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Sahney has now tweeted saying 72 Afghan sikhs have returned to the Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. “72 #afghansikhs reach back safely at Gurdwara Karte Parwan after waiting for over 12 hours at Kabul Airport. All 285 afghan sikhs & hindus are safe . Pray to God for their immediate evacuation Appreciate efforts of @MEAIndia @wpoindia @sunfoundationIn ready to rehablitate them”.
Just a day after the Taliban took over Kabul, many Hindus and Sikhs took refuge in the Karte Parwan gurdwara.
Earlier, Sirsa said Taliban leaders had assured the Hindus and Sikhs of their safety.
"Taliban leaders have met them and assured them of their safety. We are hopeful that Hindus and Sikhs would be able to live a safe and secure life despite political and military changes happening in Afghanistan," Sirsa said.
Saturday saw India’s third evacuation flight take off from Kabul, with an IAF C-17 evacuating more than 140 passengers from Kabul. The plane landed in Tajikistan for refuelling, according to ANI.
In a new security warning, the US Embassy on Saturday told citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without individual instructions from a US government representative, citing potential security threats outside its gates.
