In another case of Sikhs facing harassment in Pakistan, unidentified miscreants allegedly barged into a gurdwara located in the city of Sukkur in the country’s Sindh province, used abusive language inside the premises and forced Sikh devotees to perform their religious prayer (kirtan). forced to stop.
In a video shared by Puneet Singh Chadhok, president of the Indian World Forum, it was alleged that some miscreants barged into the gurdwara and desecrated the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the religious scripture of Sikhism.
He also shared the letter written to the authorities to take action and alleged that the devotees were threatened with death if they did not stop their prayers. Furthermore, those responsible for the incident were allegedly released from police custody without any proper investigation.
Ajay Singh, one of the kirtans, said, “I was singing kirtan, when suddenly the sound of the loudspeaker dropped. There was chaos in the gurdwara. I am told that some people were forced to stop singing kirtan I went.” , in the video.
“Our forefathers have been praying at this gurudwara for the last 100 years. We have never caused any inconvenience to anyone. Is this how minorities are treated in Pakistan?” He added.
Chadhok requested the Prime Minister’s Office and India’s Ministry of External Affairs to intervene in the matter.
Additionally, Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kisan Morcha, alleged in a tweet that the Pakistan police had refused to register any case against the accused, who were protected by the local administration.
Grewal also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and BJP chief JP Nadda to extend support to Sikhs in Pakistan.
Attack on Sikh community in Pakistan
There have been several attacks on members of the Sikh community in Pakistan. On 24 June, a Sikh community member was shot dead after unidentified armed men opened fire on 34-year-old Manmohan Singh, who died of his injuries.
Earlier on June 23, another Sikh man was shot and injured in Dagbari area of the provincial capital. The victim, identified as Tarlug Singh s/o Makhan Singh, was shot in the leg by unidentified armed men in Dagbari.
In May, Sardar Singh was shot dead by assailants in the eastern city of Lahore. Singh, 63, received a fatal bullet wound to the head.
The attacks prompted India to summon a senior diplomat from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and earlier this week lodged a strong protest against the incidents in the neighboring country.
Sources said, “India has demanded that the Pakistani authorities honestly investigate these violent attacks on the Sikh community and share the investigation report.” “It has also been conveyed that Pakistan must ensure the safety of its minorities, who live in constant fear of religious persecution,” the source said.
(with ANI inputs)
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