Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 2: India on Wednesday strongly condemned the alleged demolition of a 125-year-old Sikh shrine in Pakistan, describing it as a "targeted act of vandalism" and urging Islamabad to investigate the incident, punish those responsible and restore the historic place of worship.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also called on Pakistan to ensure the safety of religious minorities and protect their religious sites.
"We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
He said the reported lack of meaningful action by local authorities and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) was a matter of serious concern, adding that the incident reflected a continuing pattern of attacks on religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan.
According to Pakistani authorities, the gurdwara, located in Farooqabad, around 70 km from Lahore, was allegedly demolished on the night of June 24 by a local businessman.
Officials said the demolition was reportedly carried out without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the concerned department. The matter came to light after members of the local Sikh community staged protests over the incident.
Following the protests, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took cognisance of the matter.
Punjab's Minister for Minorities Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora, visited the site on Wednesday along with district officials and representatives of the Auqaf Department. He announced that restoration work on the historic gurdwara would begin immediately.
Arora said the provincial government was committed to safeguarding the rights of religious minorities and preserving their places of worship. He also directed the Auqaf Department to investigate the ownership and legal status of the land, noting that preliminary findings suggested the property was not registered as Auqaf land.
India has urged Pakistan to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, bring those responsible to justice and ensure the restoration of the damaged portions of the historic Sikh shrine.