SGPC chief seeks strict punishment for accused who did 'niqah' of Sikh woman in Pak

Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Aug 22 (IANS) The President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, has strongly condemned the incident of abduction of a Sikh woman and doing her 'niqah' in Pakistan.

He said it is great injustice against the minority Sikhs and the culprits in this case should be punished strictly.

The SGPC chief said that such anti-Sikh activities are continuously taking place in Pakistan, but sadly the Pakistan government is not paying attention.

Dhami said there is displeasure among the Sikh community due to the recent incident of Sikh teacher Deena Kaur's 'niqah' after abduction.

"This incident is completely against the values of 'Dharam' (righteousness), and it also promotes communal thinking, posing a big question for the Pakistan government. If such incidents are not stopped, the feeling of insecurity will increase among the minorities in Pakistan," said Dhami.

The SGPC chief said the Government of India should also take note of this serious matter.

He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to take action at the diplomatic level to ensure strict punishment to the culprits and return the Sikh woman safely to her family.

Dhami said the Centre must summon Pakistan's Ambassador to India and register its protest against the incident.

He said the SGPC is writing to the chief of Pakistan's Embassy in Delhi flagging the cases of harassment of Sikhs in that country.