- Pakistan Police arrested Sher Shah as prime suspect in killing of elderly Sikh couple in Mardan gurudwara
- Victims Jagannath and Asma Wanti were caretakers shot dead inside the gurdwara on Wednesday
- Joint Investigation Team found no links between suspect and banned outfits or terrorist groups
Three days after an elderly Sikh couple were shot dead inside a gurudwara in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the police have arrested the prime suspect.
The victims, identified as 70-year-old Jagannath and his wife Asma Wanti, were serving as caretakers of the gurdwara in Babu Mohalla in Mardan district, about 60 km northwest of Peshawar. They were shot dead inside the gurdwara on Wednesday.
Provincial police identified the arrested suspect as Sher Shah, a resident of Amazugari.
Mardan District Police Officer (DPO) Masood Ahmad Bangash said investigations conducted by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), comprising police officials, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel and other senior authorities, have so far found no evidence linking the suspect to any banned outfit, terrorist organisation or organised network.
The motive behind the killings remains unclear, and authorities are examining all possible angles in light of the suspect's statements and other evidence collected so far, the police said.
Reports said that the "assailants entered the gurdwara" and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
According to Pakistan media reports, a police guard had been assigned for the security of the gurdwara but was absent at the time of the attack. CCTV cameras had reportedly been installed at the premises, but investigators found that the digital video recorder was not functioning.
The killings evoked strong reactions from the Akal Takht and the BJP in India. Akal Takht Jathedar (head priest) Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj condemned the killing and urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi to take strict notice of the matter, immediately arrest those responsible, and ensure severe punishment for the culprits.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh condemned the killings and said that Pakistan has consistently failed to uphold commitments made under the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950, which guaranteed the protection of minorities in both India and Pakistan.
