Soran Singh Explained

Soran Singh
Office:Special Assistant on Minority Affairs Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa[1]
Term Start:3 September 2013[2]
Term End:22 April 2016
Office1:Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
Term Start1:May 2013
Term End1:22 April 2016
Birthname:Soran Singh
Residence:Bacha Kalay, Pir Baba, Buner District, Pakistan
Nationality:Pakistani
Death Date:22 April 2016
Death Place:Pir Baba, Buner District, Pakistan
Profession:Doctor
TV anchor
Politician

Soran Singh (died 22 April 2016) was a Pakistani Sikh doctor, TV anchor, politician[3] and Minister of Minorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[4] [5] Before joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 2011, he was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan for nine years. He was also member of Tehsil council, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board. He also hosted the programme Za Hum Pakistani Yam for three and a half years with Khyber News.[6]

Assassination

He was gunned down in a targeted attack near his house on Friday, 22 April 2016.[7] [8] [9] [10] Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police later arrested Baldev Kumar, who allegedly orchestrated Singh's murder due to political rivalry, and hired paid assassins for the purpose. Kumar wanted to contest elections from the same party on a reserved minority seat. He developed differences with Singh when the latter was picked for the seat.[11] [12] Kumar was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in 2018 for lack of "solid evidence."[13] Expressing his disquiet with the verdict, Soran's son Ajay Singh at the time had said: "We are dissatisfied with the verdict but due to lacking resources, it is impossible for us to challenge it in the superior courts."[13] According to Ajay, the accused had also made confessional statements before the police and courts regarding the murder.[13] Kumar alleged that he was wrongly accused because of his religion.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Covering issues: Politicos, bureaucrats part of Ehtesab's 100 hit list. 31 July 2015. The Express Tribune.
  2. Web site: Mr. Soran Singh . KP Assembly . 1 December 2015 . 3 December 2015.
  3. Web site: Arshad. Sameer. For this Singh, Khan is king . The Times of India. October 21, 2012. May 26, 2020.
  4. Web site: The Killing of the Sikhs. Ammara. Ahmad. The Diplomat. September 30, 2014. May 26, 2020.
  5. Web site: KPK govt great move this time to attract world community. 2 January 2014.
  6. Web site: Minority representation: Sikh assembly aspirant lays bare his plans. 20 May 2013. The Express Tribune.
  7. Web site: AFP . TTP claims assassination of PTI minority MPA in Buner . dawn.com . 22 April 2016 . 23 April 2016.
  8. Web site: Serjeant . Jill . Prominent figure in Pakistan's Sikh minority killed by Taliban gunmen . Reuters . 23 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160424125104/http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2016/04/23/prominent-figure-in-pakistans-sikh-minority-killed-by-taliban-gunmen/ . dead . 24 April 2016 . 23 April 2016.
  9. Web site: Funeral prayers of PTI leader Soran Singh offered . Geo.tv . 23 April 2016 . 23 April 2016.
  10. Web site: PTI MPA Sardar Soran Singh Shot Dead in Buner . Daily Pakistan Global . 23 April 2016 . 23 April 2016.
  11. Web site: K-P police arrests PTI minority leader over Soran Singh's killing. 25 April 2016. The Express Tribune.
  12. Web site: Soran Singh's murder uncovers flaws in election laws. Waseem Ahmad. Shah. 2 May 2016. dawn.com.
  13. News: Baldev Kumar, five others acquitted in Sardar Soran Singh's murder case. Pakistan Today. 26 April 2018. 11 September 2019. Shamim. Shahid.
  14. Web site: Ex-MLA of Imran Khan's PTI Wants Political Asylum in India, Says 'Hindus, Sikhs Being Killed' in Pakistan. News18. 10 September 2019 .