LAHORE: Pakistani top officials on Saturday urged members of the Sikh community around the world to follow in the footsteps of the founder of Sikhism and raise their voice for the rights of the people of Kashmir.
At the first-ever International Sikh Convention held in the eastern city of Lahore, Punjab, on Saturday, Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and other high-profile government functionaries stressed the importance of peace in the region and asked the audience to fight for the rights of the Kashmiri people who had been “besieged by Indian security forces.”
The convention was part of a series of events to mark the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, in November this year.
In a rare instance of cooperation, Pakistan said last year it would work with India to construct a corridor which will give Sikh pilgrims from India single-day, visa-free access to visit a temple in the small Pakistani commune of Kartarpur where the founder of Sikhism is buried.
The move was part of an official initiative to encourage tourism and project religious harmony in a region long marked by religious violence, senior officials said.
But the region has witnessed new hostilities since New Delhi decided to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, eliciting a strong reaction from Pakistan.
Saturday’s convention was attended by nearly a hundred members of the Sikh community from different parts of the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other countries.
“We will implement Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and do our best to build Kartarpur corridor on time,” Governor Sarwar said in his address to the opening ceremony.
He added that Sikhs all over the world should raise their voice for the rights of Kashmiri people since Sikhism taught them to protect the weak and fight for the oppressed.
“India is violating international law, ethics and the UN charter by depriving the people of Kashmir of their basic rights. Kashmiri liberation is written on the wall and India cannot do much about it,” he said.
The Punjab governor maintained that all problems could be resolved by initiating dialogue, noting that Pakistan was ready for talks, which India’s government was refusing.
Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Naeemul Haque urged the Sikh community to invest in Pakistan since the country was providing a business-friendly environment to foreigners. He also told the audience that the government was contemplating multiple-entry visas for Sikh pilgrims.
“Members of the Sikh community around the world should know that Pakistan is their home. They should also invest here since we will provide all necessary facilities to them,” he said.
The country’s de facto information minister, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, told the gathering that the “oppressed” Kashmiri people viewed Sikhs as their strength since “the followers of Guru Nanak were taught to become the voice of the voiceless.”
Pakistan asks Sikhs around the world to raise voice for Kashmir
Pakistan asks Sikhs around the world to raise voice for Kashmir
- First-ever International Sikh Convention held in the eastern city of Lahore
- PM’s special assistant Naeemul Haq says government mulling multiple-entry visas for Sikhs
Pakistan accuses India of manipulating Chenab flows, seeks clarification under Indus Waters Treaty
- Foreign office spokesperson says sudden variations in river flows threaten agriculture, food security and livelihoods downstream
- He also condemns a hijab-removal incident in India, calling it part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance and Islamophobia
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it had observed abrupt variations in the flow of the River Chenab during the ongoing month, accusing India of manipulating river flows at a critical point in the agricultural cycle and saying it had written to New Delhi seeking clarification.
Local media reported quoted Pakistani officials as saying India released about 58,000 cusecs of water at Head Marala on Dec. 7–8 before sharply reducing flows to roughly 870–1,000 cusecs through Dec. 17, far below the 10-year historical average of 4,000–10,000 cusecs for this period.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi told a weekly media briefing in Islamabad India had failed to share prior information or operational data on the Chenab flows, a practice he said New Delhi had previously followed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. New Delhi said earlier this year it had put the treaty “in abeyance” following a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied, calling instead for an impartial and transparent international investigation.
Pakistan also described India’s unilateral suspension of the treaty as a violation of international law and an “act of war.”
“Pakistan would like to reiterate that the Indus Waters Treaty is a binding international agreement, which has been an instrument of peace and security and stability in the region,” Andrabi said. “Its breach or violation, on one hand, threatens the inviolability of international treaties in compliance with international law, and on the other hand, it poses serious threats to regional peace, principles of good neighborliness, and norms governing interstate relations.”
Andrabi said Pakistan viewed the sudden variations in the Chenab’s flow with “extreme concern and seriousness,” saying the country’s Indus Waters Commissioner had written to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification in line with procedures outlined in the treaty.
“Any manipulation of river flow by India, especially at a critical time of our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the lives and livelihoods, as well as food and economic security of our citizens,” he continued. “We call upon India to respond to the queries raised by Pakistan.”
He said Pakistan had fulfilled its obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty and urged the international community to take note of India’s “continued disregard” of a bilateral treaty and to counsel New Delhi to act responsibly under international law.
Andrabi maintained Pakistan remained committed to peaceful resolution of disputes with India but would not compromise on its water rights.
In the same briefing, he also condemned an incident in which the chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar was seen in a video forcibly removing the hijab of a Muslim woman during a public interaction, followed by remarks by a minister in Uttar Pradesh who mocked the episode, saying it reflected a broader pattern of religious intolerance and Islamophobia and warranted strong condemnation.
