Sukkur (Sindh Province of Pakistan): In the continuing attacks on minorities in Pakistan, a group of Muslim men today brazenly barged into a Gurdwara here and caused desecration of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib, eye witnesses said.
The miscreants entered the 100-year-old Sikh shrine and demanded that ‘Gurbani’ (Holy recitation) be stopped, the eye witnesses said.
They also misbehaved with the devotees inside the shrine and desecrated Sri Guru Granth Sahib, according to the eye witnesses.
The devotees created an uproar over the misbehaviour of the mob, following which some of the miscreants were detained by the police. However, they were soon let off, the eye witnesses said.
In its complaint, Pooj Hindu Panchayat Sukkur, the organisation managing the shrine, said that while the religious prayers were underway, some people from the majority community entered and used “abusive language”.
The miscreants threatened that the prayers should be stopped, “otherwise we will kill you”, the complaint said, while identifying some of those who carried out the oppressive act.
“Alarming video from #Hindus & #Sikhs in #Pakistan. Goons entered the Gurdwara in #Sukkur #Sindh, abused the sanctity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and intimidated the devotees,” tweeted Puneet Singh Chandhok, President of India World Forum, which has been active in tracking the developments related to Sikhs outside India.
Pointing out that the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Army “continue to persecute minorities there (in Pakistan)”, Chandhok appealed to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Ministry to intervene.
Alarming video from #Hindus & #Sikhs in #Pakistan.Goons entered the Gurdwara in #Sukkur #Sindh,abused the sanctity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib & intimidated the devotees.@GovtofPakistan & @OfficialDGISPR continues to persecute minorities there.@PMOIndia @MEAIndia kindly intervene. pic.twitter.com/e4P2h8xWKe
— Puneet Singh Chandhok (@PSCINDIAN) June 30, 2023
The incident comes close on the heels of shooting of two Sikhs in two separate incidents in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
One of them died while another was injured.
Also read: One more Sikh targeted in Pakistan; shot dead by unidentified men in Peshawar
On June 24, a Sikh man identified as Manmohan Singh was fired at by motorcyle-borne men in Yakatoot area. The 34-year-old succumbed to injuries soon after.
The killing of Manmohan Singh came a day after another Sikh, identified as Tarlok Singh, was shot at and injured in a similar manner by motorcycle-borne attackers in Rashid Garhi area of Peshawar.
