Stone pelting at Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan
An angry mob pelted stones on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on Friday. The mob was led by the family of Mohammad Hassan, the boy who allegedly abducted and converted Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, who is the daughter of the gurdwara's pathi. The mob stormed the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Friday evening.
Reports claimed that the mob surrounded the Nankana Sahib gurdwara and threatened to destroy it. Several Sikh devotees were stranded inside the gurdwara. Meanwhile, India expressed concern over the mob attack and said: "We are concerned at the vandalism carried out at the revered Nankana Sahib Gurdwara (in Pakistan) today. Members of the minority Sikh community have been subjected to acts of violence in the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji. These reprehensible actions followed the forcible abduction and conversion of Jagjit Kaur, the Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year."
As the situation remains tense, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh appealed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to "immediately intervene and ensure that the devotees stranded in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib are rescued and the historic Gurdwara is saved from the angry mob surrounding it."
In a video, protesters were seen raising slogans and saying that they were against the presence of the gurdwara there. The agitators can be heard saying that they will soon change the name of the gurdwara from Nankana Sahib to Ghulaman-e-Mustafa.
Situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan, Nankana Sahib is named after the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev, who was born in the city and began preaching there. It is a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs from across the world and carries high historic and religious value.
What is the case
It is believed that the mob is being led by Mohammad Hassan's brother, who claimed that Hassan was thrashed by the authorities for lawfully and consensually marrying the girl. The family has been claiming that the Sikh girl has refused to convert back. "Despite the beatings at the behest of the ministers and authorities, we will only follow the orders of the court and wishes of Ayesha. She says she does not want to convert again," Hassan's brother said during the protest.
Significance of Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib, the city and capital of Nankana Sahib district in Pakistan's Punjab province, is a sacred place for the Sikh community as it is the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs. Nankana Sahib has a population of 79,540 inhabitants. Until 2005, it was the part of Sheikhupura District.
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