Pak Taliban imposes Jiziya on Sikhs; takes their leader hostage

Hangu, Apr 15 (ANI): Pakistan Taliban has forcibly occupied 10 houses of Sikhs in lower Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, took their leader as hostage for ransom and demanded Rs.50 million as Jiziya (religious tax) from them.

Residents of Ferozekhel area in Lower Orakzai Agency said on Tuesday that around 10 Sikh families left the agency after the demand by the Taliban, who said they were a minority and liable to pay the tax for living in the area in accordance with sharia.

As per details the militants in their first ever 'attempt' on Sikh minority, resorted to forcible occupation of 10 of their houses in Ferozkhel area. The militants also took their leader Sardar Kalyan Singh as hostage and came up with the demand of paying them Rs 60 million as ransom.

The frightened Sikh community left their houses in the area and began shifting to other places of security from the probable wrath of militants that had currently occupied 10 of their houses in the locality, The Nation reported.

Locals said the Taliban had notified the Sikh families about the 'tax' around a week ago. They said of the 15 Sikh families in Ferozekhel, 10 had shifted while the remaining were preparing to do so.

The locals said the families were impoverished and had left the area to avoid any Taliban action.(ANI)