Kabul [Afghanistan], Jul 2 (NT): A Sikh lawmaker, who was setting up to fight in the upcoming parliamentary polls in Afghanistan, was among the 19 people killed in a suicide blast in Nangarhar region,  Jalalabad city.

 Worth mention here the dead Avtar Singh Khalsa was to fight for the single seat reserved for the Hindu and Sikh communities in Afghanistan.

Khalsa was travelling in a group to convene Afghan President Ashraf Ghani when the explosion happened.

Nangarhar police leader Ghulam Sanaei Stanikzai was quoted by Pajhwok Afghan News as asserting that the suicide bomber set off his explosives when the delegation was on its way to the governor's residence in three vehicles and to convene President Ghani who was on a tour to Jalalabad.

Although Khalsa passed away in the attack, his son Narendra Singh survived and is recovering in a local hospital, as per the media reports.

On a related note Khalsa is survived by his wife and four children.

Nangarhar governor's talking head Attaullah Khogyani stated that 11 Sikhs were among those killed and 20 people were wounded including Sikhs.

According to a number of media reports, Hindus are also amongst the deceased.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) out a list of 11 Sikhs killed in Sunday's blast.

The dead people are - Anoop Singh, Mehar Singh, Rawel Singh, Avtar Singh, Amrik Singh, Manjit Singh, Inderjeet Singh, Taranjeet Singh, Baljeet Singh and Satnam Singh, as ANI provided the information.