India Summons Pak Envoy, Protests Desecration Of Hindu Temple, Idols

Islamabad has been called upon to ensure the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

India today summoned the Pakistani charge d'affaires and lodged a firm protest over the "reprehensible incident" of ransacking a Hindu temple in Pakistan's Punjab province, and said that incidents of violence and persecution of minorities have continued unabated in Pakistan. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi noted that attacks on the religious freedom of the minority community and their places of worship are occurring at an alarming rate in Pakistan while the state and security institutions have "stood by idly and completely failed in preventing these attacks on the minority communities and their places of worship". Islamabad has been called upon to ensure the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities, he added. "We have seen disturbing reports on social media of a violent mob attack on a Ganesha temple in Rahim Yar Khan in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The mob attacked the temple, desecrated the holy idols and set fire to the premises," Mr Bagchi said at a media briefing. According to the reports, the attack took place on Wednesday.