Yesterday, Pakistan lost another sane voice pushing for interfaith harmony in the country – a concept which is increasingly becoming alien to the nation.

Charanjeet Singh, who ran a general store in the outskirts of Peshawar, was also an ardent interfaith harmony activist

The family was originally settled in Kurram Agency but moved to Peshawar in the 70s to due to better business prospects there. Charanjeet was a man of great intellect and a firm believer of interfaith harmony. He would actively engage in dialogue encouraging harmony between the majority and the minority of the country. For this purpose, he would himself be the one leading such campaigns.

In 2006, he helped in the foundation of the Pakistan Councils of World Religions. Through this platform, he also wrote three books on the importance of interfaith harmony.

In an interview, Sikh elder Baba Amarjit Singh said, “He [Charanjit] was a preacher and had a thorough knowledge of the Sikh religion which is why he was often invited to universities to lecture about the different aspects of the Sikh faith.”

He was actively involved in reforming discriminatory laws against religious minorities in the country and supporting causes which promoted harmony between all

Yesterday, he was shot dead in Peshawar which has left the entire country in shock

Pakistan has failed its minorities once again. Charanjeet Singh, a Sikh community leader and trader, was shot dead in Peshawar yesterday. Though the vibrant Sikh community is revered & deeply integrated in the north west of Pakistan, it has been targeted by militants repeatedly. pic.twitter.com/drInOoNO4D

— Ammara Ahmad (@ammarawrites) May 29, 2018

We in KP and Fata used to proudly claim that Sikhs felt safe even in remote Tirah valley in Khyber Agency and elsewhere. Charanjeet Singh's murder in Peshawar and previous incidents show even the fair-skinned, Pashto-speaking Sikhs are no longer safe in their ancestral areas.

— Rahimullah Yusufzai (@rahimyusufzai1) May 30, 2018

Strongly condemn the brutal murder of Charanjeet Singh, our heartfelt condolences goes with the family of the bereaved. The culprits involved must be brought to justice ASAP.

— Mohsin Dawar (@mjdawar) May 29, 2018

"The minorities in Pakistan will be the citizens of Pakistan and enjoy all the rights, privileges and obligations of citizenship without any distinction of caste creed or sect." said MA Jinnah; but todays Pakistan is belittling words of its Father of Nation. #RIP #CharanjeetSingh pic.twitter.com/pp0L6AIzUH

— Raminder Jit Singh? (@ramindersays) May 29, 2018

The irony is that when his dead body was lying at the gurdwara for his last recites, food was being prepared by his organization to be distributed among those in need

Hassan Raza, human rights activist, remembers him for his support when he was arranging the largest interfaith events of his life – an iftar that made rounds on social media. In an effort to sum up his thoughts about the incident, he says

“The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in the demise of its Sikh citizen has lost its finest but I am not going to write anything about his assassination because not only I think there is absolutely no word in the dictionary that can possibly reflect my feelings right now but also because I believe that in order to write about his death, I, first have to acknowledge that he has gone, and as of now, my mind refuses to do that. I will just say that I will forever be indebted to him for standing with me when it mattered most.”

There are no leads in the case but this is an act of terrorism and an attempt to snub the sane voices in the country

No scripture or belief system promotes the killing of individuals based on the difference in beliefs. At the same time, these murders also put an end to all the efforts put in by such individuals by creating a sense of fear and terror.

A few political parties have come forward to condemn the attack but the debate around such terrorism is largely absent.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemns murder of human rights activist Sardar Charanjeet Singh in Peshawar — urges KP government to protect the Sikh minority in the province pic.twitter.com/6Z1WbgYJgi

— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) May 30, 2018

AWP condemns the murder of Sikh community leader & human rights activist Charanjeet Singh in Peshawar. It is our collective shame that he was killed while organizing Iftars for the Muslim community. We are allowing the best among us to be consumed in the fire of religious hatred. pic.twitter.com/kGK1mT0vhp

— Awami Workers Party (@AwamiWorkers) May 30, 2018

Is Pakistan a country only for the majority? Have we not, yet again, failed our minorities? Can we still claim to be a country safe for those who do not follow the religion of the majority?

Charanjeet Singh’s murder goes to prove #Pakistan is no longer a safe place for minorities. This isn’t Jinnah’s Pakistan anymore,it’s now the land of extremists and fascism. #CharanjeetSingh

— Fatima Ellahi (@FatimaEllahi1) May 30, 2018

Deeply distressing news of the killing of Charanjeet Singh, a human rights activist and a leader of his community, in Peshawar.
To attack & harm someone for his faith is not sanctioned by any religious or social code, and to do this in the holy month of Ramzan is doubly heinous.

— Abdul Aleem Khan (@aleemkhan_pti) May 30, 2018

There is no denying that Pakistan is not safe for its minorities. There is no regard for their lives nor is the law strong enough to save them from this brutal and mass killing spree. We disregard these incidents and do not want to report them because they distort the “great” image that Pakistan has worldwide, but it is our lack of acceptance which creates more room for such instances to take place.

cover image via Twitter