By M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad
Two members of Pakistan’s Sikh community have been beheaded by their kidnappers in the tribal areas of the country’s north west. The bodies of Jaspal Singh and Mastan Singh have been found in the Khyber and Orakzai areas, officials say.
The two men were kidnapped by unknown gunmen in separate incidents.
Both Khyber and Orakzai are home to groups involved in carjacking and kidnapping for ransom. They have links with religious extremist groups.
Thousands of members of the Sikh community have been living in the area for over 200 years.
Officials in Khyber say Jaspal Singh was among seven Sikhs travelling in the tribal district a month ago when some armed men tried to kidnap them.
Four of them managed to escape, while the remaining three were held by their abductors.
Later, the family of Jaspal Singh received a ransom demand for 20 million rupees ($235,000) to be paid by last Saturday.
His body was found when members of his family arrived in the area on Sunday to negotiate his release.
Two other Sikh men still remain in the custody of the kidnappers, officials say.
Under pressure
In Orakzai, Mastan Singh was also kidnapped by unknown gunmen from Bezot area a month ago.
There was a ransom demand for his release which was not met, officials said.
Parts of Khyber and Orakzai districts have been home to thousands of members of the Sikh community for well over two centuries.
They own businesses, and many of them are farmers.
The community has come under pressure as the influence of Muslim extremists grew in the area over the last 10 years or so.
Most of them have moved to Peshawar, and further east to the cities of Punjab.
Some months ago, Sikhs in lower Orakzai region were subjected to jizya, an Islamic tax that is collected from non-Muslims.
Sikhs in the Bara area of Khyber have also been paying a similar tax to the Lashkar-e-Islam group led by warlord Mangal Bagh.