Sheikhupura train tragedy: Bodies of 19 Sikh community members cremated in Nowshera

NOWSHERA: The remains of the 19 Sikh pilgrims, who were killed in a train-coaster collision in Sheikhupura on Friday, were cremated at the shamshan ghat (crematorium) at Khairabad here on Saturday.

Member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sardar Ranjeet Singh of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Members of Punjab Assembly Mahinder Pall Singh of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Ramesh Singh Arora of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir and a large number of Sikhs were present on the occasion. A heavy contingent of the police was deployed to avert any untoward incident. The bodies of the deceased were transported from Peshawar to the shamshan ghat in the vehicles of the Rescue 1122 service and the Al-Khidmat Foundation.

Earlier, the bodies were sent to Peshawar by a special C-130 plane. The dead were identified as Jaslain Kor, Harpareet Kor, Diljeet Kor, Ramjeet Kor, Sadpal Kor, Mahan Kor, Waljeet Kor, Jia Kor, Puran Kor, Papindar Singh, Jia Singh, Balbir Singh, Ravindar Singh, Amrit Singh, Aljeet Singh, Manandar Singh, Tajindar Singh, Manmeet Singh and Kaka Singh. Nowshera has two shamshan ghats – one for the Sikh community of Tirah valley and one for the Sikh community of Bara tehsil in Khyber tribal district. District Police Officer, Nowshera, Najamul Husnian said that 19 victims of the train tragedy belonged to Peshawar. The members of the Sikh community thanked the government for taking steps to timely shift the bodies for the last rituals.

Sardar Ranjeet Singh informed Ajmal Wazir about the problems of the Sikh community.

He demanded the government to provide land for the establishment of shamshan ghat in the districts that did not have the facility in order to facilitate the burial of the members of the Sikh community. Sardar Ranjeet Singh demanded the federal government, particularly the Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad to announce compensation for the families that lost near and dear ones in the tragedy.

Ajmal Wazir assured the members of the Sikh community that the provincial government would spare no effort to fulfill their lawful demands.