India slams Pak Taliban for beheading Sikhs

"We condemn this barbaric act of Taliban who have taken into custody three of the Indian nationals. The message that I have received which needs to be updated is that one has been done aways with and other two are kept under captivation," he said.Though the minister described these Sikhs as "Indian nationals", the reports from Pakistan have been maintaining that they were locals living in that area.

An estimated 10,000 Sikhs lived in the NWFP and in the tribal belt, particularly the Aurakzai Agency, till the Taliban imposed jiziya or religious tax on them last year. Most members of the community then fled to cities across Pakistan. "Violent methods will take us back to the medieval times," Krishna said.

According to the reports from Pakistan, some more members of the minority community are still in the Taliban's custody.