Published 10:55 IST, January 4th 2020
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh asks Pak PM to intervene over Nankana Sahib mob attack
Condemning the mob attack on Pakistan's Nankana Sahib Gurudwara, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday appealed to Imran Khan to take action
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Condemning the mob attack on Pakistan's Nankana Sahib Gurudwara, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday took to Twitter and appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to take action. He said that Khan should immediately intervene to ensure that the devotees stranded in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib are rescued. He also added that steps must be taken to save the historic Gurdwara from the angry mob surrounding it.
Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated its concern for the minority Sikh community in Pakistan, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External affairs. Furthermore, it added that these wanton acts of destruction and desecration of the holy place is condemnable and called upon the Pakistan government to act on it. It requested Pakistan to ensure the safety, security and well being of the Sikh community.
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Nankana Sahib attacked
On Friday, a video emerged of a mob of 400 people pelting stones in the Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan. Visuals show that the mob surrounding the Gurudwara and pelting stones at the Gurudwara which is the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Sources report that the mob was led by Mohd. Imran Attari -the brother of Mohammed Hassan who was responsible for the forcible conversion of a Pakistani Sikh girl - Jagjit Kaur. No arrests have been made till now.
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Sources report that the protestors consisting of Muslim residents of Nankana Sahib had proclaimed that they will soon change the name from Nankana Sahib to Ghulaman-e-Mustafa. Moreover, the mob allegedly claimed that 'no Sikh will remain in Nankana'. Reports suggest that several Sikh devotees were stranded inside the Gurdwara which was attacked by the mob on Friday evening.
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Forced conversion Pak Sikh girl
Meanwhile, the main leader of the mob is the brother of Mohammed Hassan - who was accused of kidnapping and forcibly converting a Sikh girl -Jagjit Kaur. Akali Dal leader Manjinder Sirsa, in August, had shared a video of the grieving family telling how 18-year old Jagjit Kaur was allegedly abducted and converted to Islam in Pakistan. On September 3, the victim was reunited with her family after Pakistan faced global anger due to inaction. Pakistan had claimed that Punjab's Nankana Sahib police had arrested eight people - including Hassan, in connection with the case. Despite being rescued, reports claim that Jagjit Kaur - now known as Ayesha refused to convert back to Sikhism.
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10:55 IST, January 4th 2020