India has condemned the demolition of a 125-year-old Gurdwara in Pakistan's Farooqabad, describing it as a "highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism".
The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib, located approximately 70 kilometres from Lahore, is a highly revered shrine linked to the Singh Sabha Movement.
The structure was demolished during the night of 24-25 June.
A local businessman demolished the historic gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate from the department concerned.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board, was a matter of grave concern.
The local Sikh community in the area staged protests as the government failed to take any action.
India urged Pakistan to expeditiously investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The MEA called for the immediate restoration and reconstruction of the demolished portions of the historic gurdwara.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the matter.
New Delhi highlighted that this was not an isolated incident.
The vandalism is not an isolated incident as the systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship continues unabated in Pakistan.
India urged the Government of Pakistan to discharge its obligations to ensure the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities and their places of worship.