A holy shrine Nankana Sahib Gurudwara has come under threat after hundreds of angry Muslim pelted stones Gurdwara Nankana Sahib on Friday. The Gurudwara was surrounded by a massive mob led by Mohammad Hassan’s brother. Recently a Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur was allegedly abducted from home and converted to Islam after which a dispute broke out. Later on, an agitated mob gheraoed the holy shrine on Friday afternoon, leaving many devotees trapped inside gurudwara. Anti-Sikh slogans were raised like “ham badla lenge (we will take revenge)” and that Nankana Sahib will be renamed Gulam-e-Mustafa.
The incident has shown the true face of Pakistan. Mohammad Hassan’s family first kidnapped Sikh minor girl and forcibly married to Muslim and claimed that the girl ‘Jagjit Kaur’ is now known as Ayesha. Now, the same family attacking victim family and holy shrine Nankana Sahib.
A video has surfaced on social media, recorded at the site of the protest, Hassan’s brother could be seen stating that he will build a mosque after destroying the gurdwara. Leading a mob at the gates of the holy shrine, Hassan’s brother said that all Sikhs will either be forced to convert to Islam or be killed. He will ensure that no Sikh is left in the city and gurudwara will be renamed after Ghulaman-e-Mustafa.
Nankana Sahib is a holy shrine located about 91 km (57 mi) west of Lahore. It is believed that the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born in the city and preached his first sermon here. Later on, the shrine was named after Guru Nanak. Since then Nankana Sahib is considered the most important religious site for the Sikh religion.
As the world is familiar with Pakistan’s behavior towards the non-Muslim community. Many Hindu temples, as well as Gurudwara, have been destroyed in Pakistan since 1947.
The Ministry of External Affairs called upon the Government of Pakistan to intervene to protect Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and ensure peace around the area. Sikhs are feeling insecure after the vandalization. “We call upon the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety, security, and welcome of the members of the Sikh community. Strong action must be taken against the miscreants who indulged in disecration of the holy Gurudwara and attacked members of the minority Sikh community,” said the press statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The agitated mob headed towards the gurudwara and started pelting stones. The issue drew attention of all Sikh communities living around the world. Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh condemned vandalism at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and called upon the Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure safety of the Gurudwara. “I appeal to Prime Minister Imran Khan to immediately intervene to ensure that the devotees stranded in Gurudwara Nankana Sahib are rescued and the historic Gurudwara is saved from the angry mob surrounding it,” said Chief Minister Singh in a social media message.
Pakistan has always been targeting Gurudwara and Hindu temples since it came into existence. Recently A 1000-year-old Hindu temple has been converted into the toilet which is now being used as a toilet for tourists. As per data, the percentage of Hindu in Pakistan has already decreased to 2% from 23% in 1947. If it continues, there will be no single Hindu and Sikh in Pakistan in the coming years.
