New Delhi: Pakistan is back to its old games. All its towering claims on pluralism and minorities rights are just hogwash.
Close on the heels of Pakistan government's decision to hand over management of Durbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur to a body without any Sikh representative, India on Friday (Nov 6) summoned Pakistan’s
chargé d’affaires Aftlab Hussain Khan to lodge a protest against Islamabad’s decision.
"The CDA of the Pakistan High Commission was summoned and our strong protest was conveyed.
It was also conveyed to him that this unilateral decision by Pakistan is highly condemnable and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community at large," MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava told reporters here.
"We have received representations from the Sikh community expressing grave concern at this decision by
Pakistan targeting the rights of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan. Pakistan is called upon to reverse
its arbitrary decision," he said adding it is obvious that the Sikh minority community cannot be "deprived" of the
right to manage affairs of the Holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib.
“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,” a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has said.
In a statement released shortly after, the Pakistan foreign office said - "The Project Management Unit (PMU), under the
In a statement released shortly after, the Pakistan foreign office said - "The Project Management Unit (PMU), under the
Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), has simply been created to facilitate the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak
Committee (PSGPC)".
Earlier media reports said, the Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) on November 3 officially took
the full control of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Punjab's Narowal District from Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee and gave it to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), a Muslim body. The ETPB manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Sikh community became a powerful political force, with
Sikh leader Ranjit Singh founding the first Sikh empire, which had its capital in Lahore, the second-largest
city in present day Pakistan.
In 1947 during partition, more than two million Sikhs lived in Pakistan and significant populations of Sikhs
inhabited the large cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.
Sikh leader Ranjit Singh founding the first Sikh empire, which had its capital in Lahore, the second-largest
city in present day Pakistan.
In 1947 during partition, more than two million Sikhs lived in Pakistan and significant populations of Sikhs
inhabited the large cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.
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Kejriwal Govt, Union MHA nod prosecution of Umar Khalid for Feb 2020 riots
New Delhi: Keeping aside its so called pro-minority image, the Arvind Kejriwal government gave its nod for prosecution against Umar Khalid, a former JNU student leader, in connection with a case related to the February communal violence in northeast Delhi,
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also given the green signal to probe the former JNU student leader under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA.
As per law, sanction from MHA needs to be taken before an individual can be prosecuted under UAPA.
Umar Khalid was arrested in September under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case related to a larger
conspiracy in the northeast Delhi riots in February 2020.
Delhi Police have filed a 17,500-page long chargesheet against 15 people for “propagating violence” during the
Delhi riots in February this year coinciding with the visit of US President Donald Trump.
"We have given prosecution sanction in all the Delhi riots related cases registered by the police. Now, it is up
to the courts to see who are the accused," a senior Delhi government functionary said.
The Delhi Police can now 'name' Khalid in their supplementary charge sheet.
"To prosecute one under section 13 of the UAPA, we need sanction from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which we
have already received. For prosecution under section -- 16,17 and 18 of the UAPA, we have received sanction from
the Delhi government," sources said.
On September 13, Khalid was arrested under the UAPA act in a case related to communal violence.
Cops have earlier claimed that they have 'attached WhatsApp chats from February 24' when the riots were
underway to substantiate their charge.
Umar Khalid was also allegedly involved in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) sedition row for protesting
against the capital punishment meted out to convicted Kashimiri separatists Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat.
The criminal proceedings on the same case of 2016 are also on.
It may be mentioned that on February 28, 2020, the Delhi government gave their approval for a trial in the 2016 case.
Four days after the JNU protest in February 2016, the Delhi Police had arrested JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy, under section 124 of the Indian Penal Code.
Five others including Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar, went into hiding after the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar and returned 10 days later.
Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were taken to custody after they had surrendered to the police.
A JNU administrative panel after probe had meted out varying punishments to a number of students.
Kanhaiya Kumar was fined Rs 10,000 and Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were later rusticated from the university for one semester.
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