Kirtan disrupted at gurdwara in Pakistan’s Sindh province

Sukkur (Pakistan), June 30

Miscreants on Thursday forcibly entered the premises of Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Sukkur city of Pakistan’s Sindh province, abusing the priests and forcibly asking them to stop kirtan or religious devotional songs.

Many local Sikhs and Hindus, who were present at the historical Gurdwara, alleged that the miscreants also desecrated the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

The miscreants, who were handed over to the police, were released without proper investigation and interrogation, it was alleged.

Ajay Singh, a ragi (devotional singer) at the gurdwara said, “I was doing kirtan when, all of a sudden, the sound of the loudspeaker was reduced. There was chaos at the gurdwara. I was told that some people were forced to stop doing kirtans.” He added, “They forced us to stop kirtan. Our ancestors have been praying in this gurdwara for the past 100 years. We never caused any discomfort to anyone. Is this how minorities are treated in Pakistan?”