Pakistan court jails three accused for vandalising Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Punjab province

A Pakistani court sentenced three men to a two-year jail term for vandalising Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in January 2020.

New Delhi: A Pakistani court sentenced three men for vandalising Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in the country's Punjab province.

The case pertains to an incident in January 2020 when a violent mob attacked the Gurdwara and pelted stones threatening to destroy the place of worship (Gurdwara Janamasthan) to build ‘Ghulaman-e-Mustafa’ shrine there.

The sentence was handed by Pakistani Anti-Terrorism court on Tuesday handing a two years jail term to the three accused.

“On Tuesday a Lahore's ATC handed down two years jail term to prime accused Imran Chishti and imposed a fine of 10,000 Pakistani Rupees. Two other accused – Muhammad Salman and Muhammad Ahmed – were convicted for six months. However, four other accused were acquitted for want of evidence,” PTI quoted a court official in a report.

The accused were arrested under sections 295A, 290, 291, 341,506, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7-ATA (anti-terrorism act).

The FIR states that Imran Chishti, a government employee working in the Fisheries Department, had incited the mob led by Muslims against the Sikhs in the name of religion.

Chishti wanted to settle his family issue and created such a situation in the Nankana city. Police accused Chishti of deliberately misleding the Muslim people in the  area for a “family matter”.

Chishti and other suspects were arrested under terrorism and blasphemy charges for the attack on the Gurdwara in 2020.

India had in the strongest language condemned the incident and had called upon the Pakistan government to ensure the safety and security of the members of the Sikh community in that country.

The Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is located near Lahore and it the birthplace of first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak.