New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) India on Wednesday strongly condemned the “highly deplorable” and “targeted act of vandalism” against a revered Sikh shrine in Pakistan while once again highlighting the systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship across the border which continues unabated.

Responding to media queries, the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal stated that India has taken note of 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,” he said.

“This is unfortunately not an isolated incident, as we have also seen similar reports earlier. The 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,” Jaiswal added.

India urged that the demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest.

“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,” the MEA spokesperson stated.

Last month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had strongly condemned the killing of a Sikh couple who were reportedly serving as caretakers of a gurdwara in Mardan city of the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying that the incident has intensified concerns over the safety and security of religious minorities and their places of worship.

The remarks came after unidentified assailants reportedly opened fire inside the gurdwara in the Babu Mohalla Khawaja Ganj Bazaar area in Mardan, killing 70-year-old Jagannath and his wife before fleeing from the spot.

Expressing grave concern, the HRCP said, “This incident raises serious concerns not only for the safety and security of religious minorities and places of worship but also regarding the circumstances in which the attack occurred. Reports suggesting that the alleged assailant had been engaged in providing security at the site warrant particular scrutiny and underline the need for stronger vetting and oversight mechanisms in implementing the 2014 Supreme Court judgment on the protection of religious minorities.”

The HRCP also questioned the Mardan District Police Officer’s (DPO) early assertion linking the incident to a personal vendetta. The rights body said that it remained unclear on what basis such a motive could be established with certainty at the preliminary stage of investigation.

It further called on the Pakistani authorities to ensure that all possible lines of enquiry are examined thoroughly and that those responsible are held accountable in accordance with the law.

Condemning the incident, a leading minority rights organisation, Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), said that the killings were an assault on the fragile assurances of safety for the country’s religious minorities.

“This was not merely an attack on two individuals; it was an attack on the fragile promise of safety for religious minorities in Pakistan. Authorities have described it as a ‘targeted attack,’ but such language has become routine, almost mechanical, in the face of repeated violence. What remains unchanged is the pattern: minority victims, unguarded religious spaces, unidentified assailants, and investigations that rarely deliver justice. From Peshawar in 2022 to Mardan today, the cycle continues with alarming predictability,” the VOPM stated.

The rights body noted that the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of violence against minorities in Pakistan.

–IANS

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