India summons Pak rep to lodge protest against attack on Sikhs

 India on Monday summoned Pakistan High Commission representative to lodge its protest against the desecration of the birthplace of first Sikh guru at Nankana Sahib and the killing of a Sikh youth in Pakistan.

A Ministry of External Affairs statement said that Pakistan's Charge d'affaires, Syed Haider Shah, was summoned following the recent "acts of vandalism and desecration" of the holy shrine of Sikhs in Punjab province and the targeted killing of Parvinder Singh, a member of the Sikh community in Peshawar.

Describing the incidents as "despicable and heinous, the government also shared concerns raised by members of the civil society, Parliamentarians and others at the continued persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan.

New Delhi asked Islamabad "to ensure safety, security and welfare of the members of the minority communities in Pakistan, including their places of worship."

The Imran Khan-led government has been urged to expeditiously bring the perpetrators to justice.IANS