New York:
India on Wednesday slammed Pakistan for violating the resolution on Culture of Peace passed final year and arbitrarily transferring the management of the Sikh holy shrine – Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, from the Sikh Community physique to the administrative handle of a non-Sikh physique.
Speaking at the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, First Secretary Ashish Sharma stated, “Pakistan has already violated the earlier resolution on Culture of Peace passed last year by this very assembly.”
“Last month, Pakistan arbitrarily transferred the management of the Sikh holy shrine – Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, from Sikh Community body, to the administrative control of a non-Sikh body,” he stated.
Pakistan in November this year had unilaterally transferred the management and upkeep of the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib away from the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC), a physique run by the minority Sikh Community, to the administrative handle of the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
In response, India had summoned Charge d’ Affaires (CDA) of Pakistan High Commission and lodged its powerful protest more than Islamabad’s unilateral choice to transfer of management and upkeep of the Kartarpur Sahib.
MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had stated at a briefing that Pakistan was told that the choice was “highly condemnable” and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh neighborhood.
Further slamming Pakistan, First Secretary Sharma on Wednesday stated that “If Pakistan changes its current culture of hatred against religions in India and stops its support of cross-border terrorism against our people, we can attempt a genuine culture of peace in South Asia and beyond.”
“Till then we will only be a mute witness to Pakistan driving away their minorities by threat, coercion, conversion and killing. Even people of the same religion are not spared due to encouragement given to sectarian killing,” he added.