Lahore: At least eight domes of the newly-renovated Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan fell apart due to a thunderstorm, raising questions over the use of poor quality material for the extension of the revered Sikh shrine as India took up the matter with Islamabad and demanded that the damage be urgently “rectified and remedied”.
Photos of the collapsed domes and other damage to the shrine due to the inclement weather went viral on social media over the weekend. Questions are being raised over the sub-standard material used for extension of the Kartarpur Sahib ahead of the corridor’s opening.
The domes, which are generally made of cement and iron, were erected using fiber sheet as the government seemed to have compromised in construction to meet the November 9 deadline to open the corridor. According to a Pakistani official, at least eight domes were damaged and fell apart due to strong winds and rains late on Friday night.
“The domes were made of fiber that is why they were dislodged by strong winds,” he said. The Govt of India took up the issue with Pakistan, saying the damage to the structures in the gurdwara has caused “great consternation” among the Sikh community.
“India has urged Pakistan that in deference to the sentiments of the Sikh community, the deficiencies which led to the damage to the newly constructed structures be urgently rectified and remedied,” said a source. However, the Pakistan government claimed it has repaired “the damage caused by winds and rains at Katarpur Sahib within hours.”
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