Punjab farmers' society burns Pakistan PM Imran Khan's effigy to protest abduction of Sikh girl

Chandigarh: The Punjab Border Kisan Welfare Society on Saturday set fire to an effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a protest against the alleged Pakistan government's inaction on the abduction of the Sikh girl, who was forcibly converted and then married to a Muslim man, in Lahore.

The protest demonstration was held under the aegis of society's state vice president Surjit Singh Bhura who demanded justice for the Sikh community in Pakistan and called for stringent action against the Muslim gang who abducted Jagjit Kaur, daughter of a priest in Gurudwara Nankana Sahib.

To protest the kidnapping and forceful conversion of 17-year-old Jagjit Kaur, Manjit Singh GK who is the former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has decided to hold a demonstration at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC), Delhi at 11 am on Monday along with all his supporters. Manjit has demanded safe return of the victim from the Pakistani government. He has also appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs to build pressure on Pakistan to take action.

Outfits other than DSGMC who will take part in the protest before the Pakistan High Commission are-- Rashtriya Gauraksha Sena, All India Sikh Student Federation, Bhooma faction, Border Kisan Welfare Society, Shiv Sena, All India Hindu Sangharsh committee, and Punjabi Naujawan Sabha.

Jagjit Kaur was kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man in Nankana Sahib area of Lahore. She was found after a video surfaced showing her forcible conversion and being renamed as 'Ayesha'. The victim's family immediately sought Pakistan PM's intervention in the matter and reached out to the international Sikh community.

Earlier on Saturday, the family of the abducted girl refuted the claims made by the Pakistani government and said that she had not returned to them yet. They further refuted all claims of eight persons being arrested in the case and sought the help of the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“My sister has not been returned,” said the brother of Jagjit Kaur, the abducted Sikh girl, adding, “A video has been circulated on social media that my sister Jagjit Kaur has been handed over to us and culprits are arrested. I want to say that this is absolutely fake news.”

“There is no update about my sister nor we have got any kind of justice till now. I want to appeal PM Imran Khan shaab and Army chief and Governor of Punjab (Pakistan) to look into this matter and provide us justice,” he said.

Manjinder S Sirsa, the president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), has been tweeting actively on the matter, and on Saturday appealed to all the members of Sikh community based in Pakistan to stand "united to ensure freedom of religion for our Sikh brothers in Pakistan".

Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson also appealed to "opinion leaders" of Sikh community to boycott the International Sikh Convention in Pakistan's Lahore until Jagjit Kaur is safely returned.

On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs asked the Pakistani authorities to take "immediate remedial action" in the incident.

“The Ministry has received a number of representations from various quarters of civil society in India, including Sikh religious bodies in India, at the reports of the incident of abduction and forced conversion of a minor Sikh girl in Pakistan. We have shared these concerns with the Government of Pakistan and asked for immediate remedial action,” the MEA official spokesperson said in response to a query regarding the abduction and forced conversion of a minor Sikh girl in Pakistan.