India will take up reports of alleged conversion of Sikhs with Pakistan, says Sushma Swaraj
On Friday, members of the Sikh community in Pakistan had claimed that a local tehsil officer was forcing them to convert to Islam.
India will discuss with Pakistan the news reports that a government official had allegedly forced some Sikhs in the country to convert to Islam, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday.
Sharing a news report from Pakistani newspaper The Tribune, Swaraj tweeted: “We will take this up at the highest level with the government of Pakistan.”
On Friday, members of the Sikh community in Pakistan claimed that a local tehsil officer in Hangu district was forcing them to convert to Islam, The Tribune had reported. Farid Chand Singh, who filed a complaint with authorities, said Sikhs had lived in the area since 1901, and no one had offended them before.
“Had it been from someone ordinary, it would have never felt so offending,” Singh was quoted as saying. “But when you hear such things from a government official, it becomes something really serious.”