New Delhi: Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was on Tuesday summoned "to convey Pakistan’s strong rejection of baseless Indian allegations" over the issue of the Nankana Sahib gurdwara vandalism last week.
The move came a day after India summoned Pakistan's Charge d'affaires Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest over desecration of the revered shrine near Lahore and the killing of a minority Sikh community member in Peshawar.
According to a statement issued in Islamabad on Tuesday, Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri.
"Chaudhri conveyed Pakistan’s strong denouncement of the Indian government’s motivated and mischievous allegations of 'attack', 'vandalism' and 'desecration' at the holy Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and 'targeted killing' of a Pakistani Sikh youth in Peshawar, as part of its desperate attempts to divert attention from the continuing state terrorism in Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and systematic discrimination against minorities in India," said the statement.
According to reports, a mob attack took place last week at the shrine where the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev was born. A 25-year-old Sikh man was also shot dead in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar last week.
India earlier condemned the vandalism and called upon the neighbouring country to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the Sikh community there.
However, Pakistan rejected the reports that Nanakana Sahib was desecrated by certain groups.
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