The number of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan today is unclear. There may be between 2000 and 3000 living there. They continue to live in the cities and provinces of Afghanistan where they have historically been based.

Communities were mainly based in the cities, particularly Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Ghazni, and the Kunar province. Other communities lived in Kunduz and Khost.

Before the fighting in Kabul, there were approximately eight Sikh and four Hindu temples in Kabul. They were either destroyed or used as military or army basis. Today there are three Gurdwaras in Kabul, but only one is structurally sound. In Jalalabad, there are two Sikh temples and one Hindu temple, but they are not in particularly good repair.

Sikh and Hindu children have been unable to attend government schools, as they have been harassed by both teachers and pupils. There is a Sikh school in Kabul, but it only has one teacher for a 120 students, and is run and funded by the Sikh community.

Unlike, for example, in India, the Hindu and Sikh communities are very closely integrated. They frequently live together, and even share temples. The situation for the two groups is very similar.

The communities have particular problems reclaiming land which has been occupied by various militia commanders, and in burning the dead.

Many Muslims regard the Sikh and Hindu practice of cremating the dead to be blasphemous, and there has been violence and difficulties when Sikh and Hindu people die.

Those Afghan Sikhs born since the mid 1970s have experienced a much more insular life than their parents and grandparents. It is common for older Sikh and Hindu men and women to speak local Afghan languages fluently.

In the case of many younger people, they speak only Punjabi, as it has never been safe for them to attend government run schools or associate with local Muslim Afghans. This is particularly true of younger Afghan women.

Almost all of Afghanistan's Sikhs and Hindus have, by now, left the country. Most of them have made their way to India, where they live as semi official refugees but have a great deal of trouble getting any form of permanent status. Others travelled either to America or to European countries in order to try and establish themselves as refugees.

Afghan Sikhs and Hindus were generally easily identifiable. In terms of appearance, they were often darker skinned than many Afghans, and the men, particularly the Sikhs, wore the traditional turban, did not cut their hair, and grew long beards. The women did not tend to cover up as comprehensively as Muslim women did.