India slammed Pakistan for violating the resolution on Culture of Peace. (Representational)
New York:
India on Wednesday slammed Pakistan for violating the resolution on Culture of Peace passed last year and arbitrarily transferring the management of the Sikh holy shrine – Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, from the Sikh Community body to the administrative control of a non-Sikh body.
Speaking at the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, First Secretary Ashish Sharma said, “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 said.
Pakistan in November this year had unilaterally transferred the management and maintenance of the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib away from the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC), a body run by the minority Sikh Community, to the administrative control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
In response, India had summoned Charge d’ Affaires (CDA) of Pakistan High Commission and lodged its strong protest over Islamabad’s unilateral decision to transfer of management and maintenance of the Kartarpur Sahib.
MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said at a briefing that Pakistan was told that the decision was “highly condemnable” and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.
Further slamming Pakistan, First Secretary Sharma on Wednesday said 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.