Taliban capture Sikh property in FATA over failure to pay "protection money"

Islamabad, Apr.29 (ANI): The Taliban has forcibly captured three houses and ten shops belonging to people of the Sikh community in the Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) after they failed to fulfill their demands of huge protection money.

According to the sources, armed Taliban gunmen forced all the 24 family members of one Kalyan Singh out of their houses and shops.

It may be noted that Kalyan Singh, a cloth merchant, was kidnapped by the extremists a fortnight ago, and was subsequently released when he paid 3.5 million rupees out of the 13 million rupees which was demanded as protection money.

Sources, added that after Singh failed to arrange the rest of the amount, the Taliban occupied the properties.

Meanwhile, people belonging to Manikhel tribe have given shelter to all the displaced Sikh people, and have also vowed to protect them from the extremists, The News reported. (ANI)