Islamabad:
In Pakistan’s Punjab province, a 125-year-old historic gurdwara was demolished by a local businessman, sparking protests from the minority Sikh community. India also condemned the demolition of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, calling it a “highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism” against a revered Sikh shrine.
The gurdwara was reportedly demolished on the night of June 24 without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned, according to Pakistani authorities.
What India Said
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged Islamabad to investigate the incident and restore the damaged portions of the religious structure. New Delhi also called on Islamabad to ensure the safety and well-being of religious minorities.
“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. We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine. Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern,” Jaiswal said.
New Delhi noted that, “unfortunately”, it was not an isolated incident, as similar reports have also come out of the country earlier, and systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated.
“We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice. The demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest,” Jaiswal said.
“Further, we urge the government of Pakistan to discharge its obligations to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of its minority communities and their places of worship and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance in Pakistan,” he added.
Protest in Pakistan
According to an official of Pakistan’s Punjab government, the historic Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad, some 70 kms from Lahore, was recently demolished by a local businessman.
“The businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned. The department has not taken notice of it till the Sikhs of the area protested,” the official told news agency PTI.
He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the matter following a protest by the Sikh community in the area.
On Wednesday, Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora visited the Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad and announced its immediate restoration.
Arora, accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, Assistant Commissioner Imran Ali Harl, the Chief Officer of the Municipal Committee, officials from the Auqaf Department and others, visited the site and also listened to the grievances of local Sikhs.
Speaking to the media, Arora said Chief Minister Maryam had made it clear that the government was fully committed to protecting the fundamental rights of minorities and safeguarding their places of worship under all circumstances.
The minister directed the Auqaf Department to immediately conduct an inquiry into the ownership and status of the land on which Gurdwara Singh Sabha stood, adding that initial information suggested the property was not registered as Auqaf land.
“I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest,” he said.
He added that restoration work on Gurdwara Singh Sabha would commence immediately and reiterated that the Punjab government remained committed to preserving the province’s historic religious heritage and protecting places of worship belonging to minority communities.
‘Gurdwara Was Abandoned’
Meanwhile, local traders operating around the site expressed reservations over the restoration plan. They said that the premises had remained abandoned for nearly 80 years, during which time several families had settled there and numerous shops had been established.
The traders said the restoration could displace dozens of families and urged the government to provide alternative housing and livelihood opportunities to any affected residents if eviction became unavoidable.
