Make Pak investigate destruction: Punjab CM to PM

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pressurise the Pakistan government to undertake a thorough probe into the destruction of the centuries-old Guru Nanak Palace in Narowal, and has also offered to get the property rebuilt by his government if the Centre is able to secure Islamabad’s permission for the same.

Drawing his attention to the destruction of the Sikh heritage property located in Pak Punjab, Captain Amarinder has written to Mr Modi, requesting him to “take up with the government of Pakistan to probe the wanton destruction of the property in question and to bring to justice all the guilty persons associated with this unfortunate act.”

Calling for urgent steps to restore the remaining structure through scientific conservation and restoration, the Chief Minister has also sought to impress upon the government of Pakistan to preserve all such monuments that have an association with Sikh heritage in an institutionalized manner so that such incidents do not recur in future.

If the government of India arranges permission from Pakistan government, the Punjab government (India) would rebuild the historic property, the chief minister later said in a statement. Strongly condemning the shocking incident, Captain Amarinder said it had hurt the sentiments of Sikhs around the world.

In his letter to the prime minister, Captain Amarinder wrote: “The building, which some media reports cite to be around four centuries old and has been visited by large number of Sikh pilgrims, has been rapaciously pillaged and destroyed.”

The incident, he said, had caused great consternation in the State and it was almost ironic that it had happened at a time when the two countries were poised to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of the First Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev.