Seeking explanation from Prime Minister Imran Khan for the forced conversion of a Sikh girl, All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF) on Sunday said the incident was not only 'unfortunate,' but also showed 'minorities are slaves' in Pakistan.
In a letter to Khan, AISSF said: "It is very unfortunate that an incident in Pakistan has come to light in which a minor Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur (daughter of a Granthi of a Gurdwara) was abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, married to a Muslim boy and her family threatened. Such type of incidents gives a feeling that minorities are slaves in Pakistan."
The abduction of the teenage girl came to light on Thursday after Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared a video of the girl's family narrating the ordeal on social media. The incident led to a furore in India with several political leaders demanding action against the perpetrators of the act.
The letter, which was signed by AISSF president Manjit Singh Bhoma, further states that such incidents of abductions and forcible conversions of Hindu minority girls in Pakistan have also occurred. Bhoma also reminded Khan that Sikh leader Charanjit Singh was also killed in Peshawar last year.
"All India Sikh Students Federation would not tolerate any such atrocities on minorities in Pakistan," reads the letter, while demanding a clarification from the Pakist government over the entire incident.
"Neither you (Imran Khan) nor any one of your responsible Minister has given any statement over the issue so far. It should be clarified that what efforts have been made by Pak government on the issue. Pak PM should come to media and criticise this act and take responsibility for having failed to prevent atrocities on minorities," Bhoma adds in the letter.
In the letter, the AISSF president said Sikhs have always helped the females irrespective of their being Hindus, Muslims or of any other religions.
"If Sikhs can protect the females of other religions, they have the ability to protect Sikh girls, may it be in any part of the world. AISSF has always raised the issue of any atrocities on Sikhs and violation of human rights in any part of the world," he said.
Demanding death penalty for the culprits, the AISSF said: "Pak government should take steps to provide justice to the aggrieved family by giving death penalty to the culprits so that no one dares to repeat such act in future and if any such shameful act occurs in future, the Sikhs would give a befitting reply to this."
"Pak government should also ensure safeguarding the interests of minorities. If Pak government fails to give justice to the family, Federation would write to the UN to send a fact-finding team to Pakistan and investigate the issue," he said.
Pakistan has repeatedly been asked by the international community to end discrimination against religious minorities on its soil. Last month, the United States, the UK, and Canada raised the issue of suppression of religious freedom by China and Pakistan and slammed the two Asian nations for "persecuting and repressing" their religious minorities.
( With inputs from ANI )