Pakistan has firmly dismissed allegations made by a senior Indian military official, who claimed that Pakistan had planned to target the Golden Temple.
The Foreign Office on Tuesday announced that the accusation made by Indian officials as “entirely baseless and fabricated.”
In response to media questions, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan condemned the statement, labeling it “irresponsible and unsubstantiated.” He said it appeared to be part of a calculated attempt to discredit Pakistan and deflect attention from India’s own questionable conduct.
He further emphasized Pakistan’s respect for religious freedom, highlighting its role as the guardian of numerous Sikh religious sites. “Each year, Pakistan welcomes thousands of Sikh pilgrims from around the world, and our opening of the Kartarpur Corridor for visa-free access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is a reflection of our commitment to interfaith harmony,” he added.
The spokesperson reiterated that the suggestion of a Pakistani plot against the Golden Temple was not only false but also a dangerous attempt to provoke religious unrest and inflame tensions.
In a parallel development, Giani Amarjit Singh, the head of the Golden Temple, publicly refuted the Indian Army’s assertion that air defence guns were deployed at the holy site amid recent tensions with Pakistan.
“There is no truth to this claim,” Singh said in an official statement. “At no point did we grant permission for military weapons to be stationed within the premises of the Golden Temple.”
He acknowledged that Indian authorities had requested the temple management to switch off exterior lighting as a precautionary measure, but emphasized that religious observances continued uninterrupted. “Only the external lights were turned off. All religious functions inside remained fully active and respectful,” he said.
Sikh also sttaed this claim from I ndian authorities an attempt to divert the Sikhs support for Pakistanis.
