Forced marriage with Sikh woman after kidnapping in Pakistan, Jaishankar takes cognizance

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Indian government has taken up the incident of alleged abduction and forced conversion of a female Sikh teacher in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 20 with the Shahbad government and strongly condemned the incident. In response to the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), Jaishankar said that the Center has expressed its serious concern over such a shocking and condemnable incident.

The EAM said, “The Government of India has also shared its hopes that the Government of Pakistan will investigate this honestly and take strict action against those responsible for this incident. Pakistan has also been asked to ensure the safety and welfare of members of minority communities in the country, including their places of worship.

A Sikh woman was allegedly abducted at gunpoint and forcibly married to her abductor in Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

On 22 August, NCM chief Iqbal Singh Lalpura wrote to Jaishankar requesting him to take up the matter with his counterpart in Pakistan so that such incidents do not recur and to prevent hatred and ensure the security of Sikhs in Pakistan. Appropriate steps should be taken for

Jaishankar wrote back to the NCM chief on September 17 that the government had taken note of the incident and as soon as the incident was reported, he took up the matter with the Pakistan government through a diplomat.

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