Pakistan on Tuesday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to convey strong rejection of baseless and fabricated allegations by New Delhi concerning the Sikh community, a Foreign Office press release said.
Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri conveyed Pakistan’s strong denouncement of the Indian government’s motivated and mischievous allegations of ‘attack’, ‘vandalism’ and ‘desecration’ at the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and ‘targeted killing’ of a Pakistani Sikh youth in Peshawar, as part of its desperate attempts to divert attention from the continuing state terrorism in Indian-held Kashmir and systematic discrimination against minorities in India.
The DG (SA&SAARC) underscored that the constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal rights to all its citizens and that the government is committed to protect the rights of minorities, with zero-tolerance against any discrimination. It was emphasized that rather than pointing fingers towards others, India should focus on ensuring effective protection of its own minorities and their holy places of worship, including mosques, from repeated instances of desecration, hate crimes and mob lynching.
The Indian allegations had surfaced after police had to step in on Friday last week amid rising tensions in Nankana Sahib after a heated debate at a tea stall threatened to blow into a big law and order issue.
Reports said four customers, while taking tea at Zaman’s stall in front of Gurdwara Janam Asthan, started a conversation about his nephew, Ehsaan, who just a few months ago came into the limelight for marrying a Sikh girl after allegedly forcing her to convert. Zaman reportedly reacted with anger, which led to a confrontation between the two groups. A small crowd gathered to raise slogans. A team of Nankana Sahib police had to intervene briskly to control the situation.
In a statement issued later that day, the Foreign Office had clarified that the incident in Nankana Sahib was the result of an ‘altercation between two Muslim groups’ and that it should not be portrayed as a communal issue.
