Sikh leader Avtar Singh Khalsa will represent Afghanistan’s small Sikh and Hindu community in the next parliament. Khalsa, 52, is working actively towards the revival of his dwindling community in Afghanistan. He holds meetings with Sikhs at his office, meets people from Sikh and Hindu community and hopes to serve Afghanistan, the Press Trust of India reported.

The political development comes at a time when the Afghan government is struggling to curb Taliban and an Islamic State (IS) affiliate. The IS affiliate has carried out a wave of attacks and has targeted Afghanistan's Shia Muslims among others. Sikhs and Hindus, it is feared, will face "renewed persecution".

About the number of Sikhs in Afghanistan, the report says, "The community numbered more than 80,000 in the 1970s, but today only around 1,000 remain."