Farooqabad: A 125-year-old historic gurudwara in Pakistan's Punjab province was demolished by a local businessman, sparking protests from the Sikh community.
Condemning the demolition, India called it a "highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine", NDTV reported.
Reportedly, the gurudwara was demolished on the night of June 24 without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned, according to Pakistani authorities.
The MEA in its statement posted by spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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 concer," the statement read.
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.
The ETPB is the Pakistani government body responsible for the maintenance of the shrines of religious minorities.
Calling for investigation and action in the matter MEA said, "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."
"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," MEA added.
The demolition of the gurdwara triggered protests by the Sikh community. Local authorities in Farooqabad have claimed that the land mafia was behind the demolition of the structure. Representatives of Pakistan’s Sikh minority demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident, reported Hindustan Times.
