Awtar Singh

Awtar Singh or Awtar Singh Khalsa (1966 – 1 July 2018) was an Afghan politician. He was the Sikh representative to the Loya Jirga from Paktia Province, the only non-Muslim representative there. His native tongue was Punjabi.^[1] He was in charge of the main Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in Kabul.^[2] Singh was a member of the Mesherano Jirga (upper house) for a five-year term, beginning in 2005.^[3]

He had planned to contest the minority seat in the 2018 parliamentary elections. Singh was killed in Jalalabad on 1 July 2018 in a suicide bombing that killed 18 other people, mostly from Afghanistan's Sikh and Hindu minorities. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.^[4] Singh was 52 and is survived by his wife and 4 children, one of whom was injured in the blast.^[5] His son, Narendra Singh Khalsa, contested the minority seat and won. However, he and his family were evacuated from Kabul to India by an Indian Air Force military aircraft just one year later in 2019. They landed at Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad.^[6]

References

1. Afghanistan, Unveiling (27 March 2014). "Awtar Singh Khalsa: 'They Gave the Hindus and Sikhs a place for rubbish disposal as a Place to Live'". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
2. "Afghan Hindus, Sikhs see hope". The Tribune (Chandigarh). 10 June 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
3. "Awtar Singh Khalsa: "They gave the Hindus and Sikhs a place for rubbish disposal as a place to live"". FIDH. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
4. "Afghanistan blast: Sikhs among 19 dead in Jalalabad suicide attack". BBC News. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
5. "Avtar Singh Khalsa, Sikh candidate for October polls among 20 killed in Afghanistan blast". Indian Express. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
6. Bhaumik, Anirban (22 August 2021). "Sikh Afghan lawmaker Narender Khalsa among evacuees". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2023.

External links

• Afghan Hindus, Sikhs see hope, tribuneindia.com, 9 June 2002. Accessed 25 August 2025.