The shoes of Avtar to fill, the Afghans will see the Sikh leader in the House: Envoy

Sikh leaders will protest Tuesday at Afghan embbady officers in New Delhi. Mukesh Aggarwal

The Afghan ambbadador to India, Shaida Abdali, in an exclusive interview to Smita Sharma of the Tribune, said that his country and India are facing the same enemy and that Afghanistan wants the Sikhs to have their leader in Parliament. The entire nation, he says, mourns the death of 17 Sikhs in the terrorist attack. excerpts:
What was the message of the terrorist strike in Jalalabad?
It was a very tragic and painful incident where, two days ago, we lost 17 Afghan Sikhs to Jalalabad. Afghanistan loses its sons every day, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. In two days, we lost more than 60 Afghans in Jalalabad. It's the pain we go through every day. Avtar Singh, the head of the Sikh community, in an interview 10 days before his badbadination declared that he was running for elections for the cause of Afghanistan. He said that he would be ready to lose his life and sacrifice it for Afghanistan. This is the patriotism shared by Afghans, including our Sikh brothers.
Will it create a shadow of fear for minorities in the next elections?
We will continue, no matter how much we lose for the cause of a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan. Afghanistan and the Afghan people will not be shaken, even if the enemies continue to do their best to terrorize us. They do not want the Afghan people to progress.
The IS claimed responsibility for the Jalalabad attack. Do your surveys confirm it?
Terrorist attacks in Afghanistan are claimed by the Taliban, Daesh, sometimes by other terrorist groups. An investigation is under way to examine this incident and see what happened and where this attack was conducted. But Afghanistan and India are both facing a common enemy. Terrorism that is designed against our people. It is time for us to stand by all the others and say that Afghanistan and India will not be alone in this painful journey forever.
Are you saying that Pakistan and its agencies have also played a role in the Jalalabad attack?
Terrorism in Afghanistan is exported from the other side of the border. We must work for the end of sponsorship by the state of terrorism. The world no longer doubts the nature of terrorism and its roots. We must go against the sponsoring states of terrorism that reside on the other side of the border.
Members of the Sikh community demonstrated in Delhi today. What is your message for the security of minorities in Afghanistan?
Afghans, no matter who and where they are, will take all measures to protect them (minorities). I spoke with our national security advisor on Tuesday and he asked me to convey his message to Sikh community brothers that I met at the embbady. I told them that the Afghan government and people would do everything they can to protect their lives. We are all in danger and we must resist it.
Avtar was reportedly the first Sikh deputy in the Afghan Parliament. Can this void be filled?
The steps of Avtar Singh must be followed. The enemy did not want the Sikh community to have a leader. But Afghans want Sikhs to have a leader in Parliament. We want this place to be filled. Afghans will do whatever it takes to have a Sikh leader in their parliament.