Amid reports of demolition of homes of Sikhs in parts of Pakistan, India has said it had taken up the matter of treatment of minorities in that country with the government in Islamabad.
"On seeing reports about Sikh families in Pakistan being driven out of their homes and being subject to 'jiziya' and other such impositions, the government of India has taken up with Pakistan the question of treatment of minorities with the government of Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.
According to reports, Taliban militants have demolished 11 homes of members of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan's troubled Aurakzai tribal region after they failed to pay 'jiziya' or a tax levied on non-Muslims.
The militants acted after a deadline set by them for payment of 'jiziya' by the Sikhs expired on April 29, the reports said.
Though the Sikhs have been living in Aurakzai Agency for centuries, the Taliban asked them earlier this month to pay Rs 50 million a year as jiziya.
The militants claimed this was being done as Shariah or Islamic law had been enforced in the area and all non-Muslims have to pay "protection money".
Forced to move out
Meanwhile, Sikh families living in Pakistan's lawless Aurakzai tribal region have started moving out of the troubled area after Taliban fighters destroyed their houses for failing to pay 'jiziya' or a tax levied on non-Muslims.
Sikhs began moving from Aurzakzai Agency, where members of the minority community have lived for hundreds of years, to other places after the Taliban destroyed 11 of their houses on Wednesday night.
The homes were destroyed on the orders of militant commander Hakeemullah Mehsud after the Sikhs failed to pay Rs 50 million as jiziya.
Militants also captured the shops and homes of 35 Sikh families and "arrested" two heads of the community in Ferozkhel area of Aurakzai Agency, media reports from the region said on Friday.
A tribal jirga too asked the Sikhs to pay the jiziya to the militants, the reports said. Following this, the militants auctioned the houses and other belongings of Sikhs, who started moving out of the area.
Hakeemullah Mehsud, the head of the militants in Aurakzai Agency, is a deputy of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud. He moved into Aurakzai Agency with his fighters last year.
Though the Sikhs were initially provided protection by the Manikhel tribe in keeping with Pashtun traditions, the tribesmen are now fearful of taking on the Taliban.
In October last year, over 100 people were killed in a suicide attack on a jirga in Aurakzai Agency that was called to discuss ways to evict the Taliban from the area.
