Washington, D.C: The World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF) is outraged and condemns the terrorist attacks that has targeted the Karte Parwan Sikh Gurudwara in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 25 innocent human beings. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and our hearts go out to the bereaved families and friends. We ask that the Afghanistan government set-up an impartial Commission to investigate this heinous crime and bring the culprits to justice.

 The world community in general, and the Sikh community, in particular, have not forgotten the Chittisinghpura massacre on March 20, 2000, on the eve of President Bill Clinton's visit to India. An internal investigation instituted by the Indian government under international pressure revealed that the massacre was the handiwork of the Indian agencies. These revelations by Lt. Gen. K. S. Gill, who was part of the investigation, that the personnel of the Indian army, along with the Indian government's hired gunmen in Kashmir, were directly involved in the massacre were initially hushed up by the Indian government.

 According to Mr. Gill, their singular aim was to smear the Kashmir freedom struggle to enlist the sympathies of the then U.S. president toward the Indian government's narrative on Kashmir. President Clinton has repeatedly refused to accept the Indian government's contention that the massacre was the work of Pakistani groups.

Similar cynical attempts by the Indian intelligence agencies and their collaborators in the Afghan intelligence network, in the past, have invariably aimed at implicating Pakistan and the Kashmiris in such acts of violence against civilians. These agencies relentlessly aim to achieve the twin goal of tarnishing the images of both Pakistan and the Kashmiris freedom movement and simultaneously sow a division among the Kashmiris and the Sikhs. Such despicable attempts by the Indian government have failed to create a wedge between the Muslim and Sikh communities. The rank and file, and leadership of the two communities across the globe are united in friendship.

 The WKAF expresses its solidarity with our global Sikh community at this moment of tragedy and demands from the Afghan government an impartial inquiry into the massacre with the assistance of international agencies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights.