India to raise Sikh conversion issue with Pakistan
Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj expressed concern at the forced conversion of Sikhs in a province in Pakistan.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has promised to take up issue of forced conversion of Sikhs in Pakistan with the competent authorities.
On Tuesday the minister tweeted: "We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. Sikh community in Hangu being forced to convert."
Swaraj expressed concern at the alleged forced conversions of Sikhs living in the Hangu district of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. @IndiainPakistanSikh community in Hangu �??being forced to convert�?? https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj- Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 19, 2017
Earlier on Tuesday Punjab Chief Minister had drawn Swaraj's attention to the issue. He took to social media asking Swaraj to help the Sikh community. He tweeted: "...We cannot allow the Sikh community to be victimised in such a manner. It's our duty to protect the Sikh identity..."
Request @SushmaSwaraj ji to take up this issue with Pakistan. We cannot allow the Sikh community to be victimised in such a manner. It�??s our duty to help protect the Sikh identity and the @MEAIndia should pursue the matter at the highest levels.https://t.co/sRFjV1pk5Q- Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) December 19, 2017
Last week the Sikh community in Hangu lodged a formal complaint with the office of Deputy Commissioner of Hangu Shahid Mahmood claiming that Yakub Khan, assistant commissioner of Thal tehsil, was forcing Sikhs in the region to convert to Islam.
Mahmood has assured the Sikhs that the matter would be investigated. Last Friday members of the Sikh community staged a protest in Doaba Bazaar.
There are close 10,000 Sikhs living in the province.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a Pakistani province alongside the border with Afghanistan. The area is notorious for militancy and terrorism.
On December 16, 2014 Tehrik-i-Taliban terrorists attacked an army school in Peshawar (capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ) and gunned down more than 150 people, including school children.