Taliban don’t allow 70 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus to board flight to India

Sikh members of parliament Anarkali Kaur Honaryar and Narender Pal Singh were part of the batch that was sent back from the airport. All Sikhs are safe, said Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa

The Taliban on Saturday did not allow a group of nearly 70 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus to board the flight sent by Indian Air Force (IAF) to Kabul to evacuate the Indian nationals.

Afghan people gather as they wait to board a U S military aircraft to leave the country, in Kabul. (AFP)

The group managed to reach the airport on Friday night but was not allowed to enter inside it. After a long wait of around 12 hours, Taliban sent them back to Gurdwara Singh Sabha Karte Parwan in Kabul, said Vikramjit Singh Sahney of World Punjabi Organisation who is in constant touch with the community members.

Sikh members of parliament Anarkali Kaur Honaryar and Narender Pal Singh were part of the batch that was sent back from the airport.

Refuting reports that the Sikhs and Hindus have been kidnapped by the Taliban, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: “The Sikhs and Hindus who had taken shelter in Gurdwara Karte Parwan are totally safe. They are in touch with us”.

A Sikh taking shelter in the Kabul gurdwara said they had to wait for more than 12 hours for being allowed to enter the airport. “Later, the Taliban fighters said as we were Afghan nationals, we can’t board the flight that was meant for Indians,” he said.

Another Sikh said the roads leading to the airport are badly due to rush of vehicles.

Approximately 300 Sikhs and Hindus are taking a refuge at the gurdwara fearing threats from Taliban. They are waiting for being evacuated as Canada and India offered them shelter.