Taliban Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi has called on Afghan Sikh and Hindu citizens who left for India to return, saying Afghanistan “urgently needs” their presence and skills.
Speaking at a meeting in New Delhi on Friday, Azizi said the Taliban would support members of both communities if they chose to come back.
Addressing a trade forum with Indian officials, Azizi said the Taliban had included support for Sikh and Hindu citizens in their programmes and would continue to do so upon their return. He urged those working in sectors such as healthcare and trade to resume their contributions inside Afghanistan.
Azizi also encouraged India’s private sector to invest in Afghanistan and expand its role in import–export activities.
Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan fled in large numbers after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, citing rising threats and fear of property seizures. Community representatives have told Taliban officials that much of their property in Kabul has been taken over.
A 2024 US State Department report found that Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan feared persecution and mistreatment under Taliban rule.
Earlier, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met senior Sikh and Hindu community members in New Delhi and said the Taliban would guarantee the safety of religious minorities and rebuild their places of worship. Several Sikh gurdwaras in Kabul have been attacked in recent years. Following the deadly 2022 attack on a Sikh temple, the Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee in Delhi urged the Indian government to evacuate remaining Sikh families from Afghanistan.
