Around 43 Hindus and Sikhs still remain in Afghanistan and nine e-visa applications are still pending with GoI. A batch of 55 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, who were stranded in Afghanistan, landed at IGI Airport, Delhi, Sunday.
The 55 people, including 38 adults, 14 children and three infants, were evacuated via a special flight organised by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar and now just 43 of them still remain in Afghanistan.
Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of Indian World Forum, said, “SGPC in coordination with Indian World Forum and GoI is facilitating evacuation of distressed minorities from the Islamic nation. As many as 68 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have arrived in Delhi after the attack at Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul. The airfare for the same is being borne by SGPC. More than 300 have arrived since the Taliban took over Kabul.”
Around 43 Hindus and Sikhs still remain in Afghanistan and nine e-visa applications are still pending with GoI.
“Four saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib still remain in Afghanistan and due to lack of cooperation from local administration in Kabul, these could not be transferred to India as per religious protocol,” he said.
After their arrival , the evacuees proceeded towards Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev, New Mahavir Nagar, Delhi.
Receiving the families at the airport, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, AAP MP in Rajya Sabha and president of World Punjabi Organisation, said that the Ministry of External Affairs has granted them e-visas and repatriation was facilitated by both the governments.
“For many families, it was the end of the wait that began on the day the Taliban took over and imposed restrictions, he said. Sahney said that he was in touch with MEA for the evacuation.