India has strongly contended the killings of two Sikh people with the government of Pakistan following their deaths in Peshawar, on Sunday.

Terming it as shocking and deplorable incident, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence.”

The Indian spokesperson responded to media queries on the “targeted killing” of the two Sikh traders, saying, “We have seen the reports on brutal killing of two Sikh traders by unidentified armed men in Peshawar. Sadly, this is not the first such case or a rare occurrence.”

Police said that the two men, who were killed, used to sell spices in Bata Tal bazaar in Sarband. They were identified as Saljeet Singh (42) and Ranjeet Singh (38).

Police rushed to the spot and imposed a perimeter to look for the culprits. No one is yet to claim responsibility for the attack.

It may be noted that as many as 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, most of them in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital.

The spokesperson said, “We have registered our strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on continued targeting of members of the minority community in Pakistan. We call upon the authorities concerned to sincerely investigate the matter and take strict action against those responsible for this deplorable incident.”

The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan had condemned the attack and directed the police to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits.

The government of India has said that it expected the Pakistani government to fulfil its responsibilities to look after the minority communities.