Sikh outfit in Pakistan threatens protest

A Sikh organisation in Pakistan has threatened to launch a countrywide protest if those who desecrated their holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, are not arrested by May 31.

Speaking at a press conference at Karachi Press Club Monday, the Pakistan Sikh Council's chief patron, Sardar Ramesh Singh demanded that a judicial commission be set up to investigate how and why all of a sudden such incidents started happening across Sindh, Dawn online reported Tuesday.

He said that all the culprits be arrested, tried and awarded stern punishment so that it could act as a deterrence to other unscrupulous elements in future.

Singh demanded that security be provided to the religious places of minority communities.

He said the incidents were reported from Dal Darbar in Pano Aqil, Guru Nanak Darbar Mehar in Dadu district, Samadha Ashram, Sajal Sher Jhulelal Darbar, and Khatwari Darbar in Shikarpur district.

Similar incidents were reported from Bhagnari temple in Karachi's Lea market and Jai Ram Das darbar in Madheji, Shikarpur, May 6 and 7 respectively, he added.

Singh said the Sikh community had been living in peace and harmony with other communities in Sindh for centuries and such incidents have never happened in the past.

He added that the community believed that certain elements in society wanted to create unrest by hurting sentiments of other communities, the Dawn report said.

Singh said the Sikhs were as much patriotic as other communities living in Pakistan and did not want to stage protest that could cause embarrassment to the country internationally, but they have been pushed to the wall.

It was the government's responsibility to recognise Sikh community's religious sentiments and provide safety and security to it, he said.