NEW DELHI: India on Thursday summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affaires Aftab Hassan Khan and lodged a strong protest against Islamabad’s decision to change the management of the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara to a non-Sikh body. The decision runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and the religious sentiments of the Sikh community, India said.
“The unilateral decision of transferring the management of the Kartarpur Sahib is highly condemnable. The Charge d’ Affaires of the Pakistan mission was summoned and a protest was conveyed. We conveyed that Pakistan needs to reverse its unilateral and arbitrary decision,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
Pakistan, in an order issued on November 3, had transferred the management of the gurdwara, the last resting place of Sikh religion founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Evacuee Trust Property Board, a body which has no representation from the Sikh community.
India had hit out at Islamabad saying many representations were received from the Sikh community expressing grave concern over the decision to transfer the management and maintenance of the gurdwara.
“Such actions only expose the reality of the Pakistani government and its leadership’s tall claims of preserving and protecting the rights and welfare of the religious minority communities,” the MEA statement had stated.