Golden Temple attack claim snubbed

FO calls Indian allegation baseless, cites Kartarpur access as sign of interfaith respect

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Tuesday categorically rejected claims by a senior Indian Army officer that Islamabad had attempted to target the Golden Temple, with drones and missiles in Amritsar city of India's Punjab state, earlier this month.

"We categorically reject the allegations that Pakistan attempted to target the Golden Temple, the most revered place in the Sikh faith," Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said in a statement.

"We hold all places of worship in the highest esteem and cannot think of targeting a holy site like the Golden Temple," he added.

The spokesperson further said India had attacked multiple religious sites in Pakistan on the night of May 6 and 7. "The allegations levelled by the Indian side cannot shift attention from this unacceptable act," he added.

Pakistan also highlighted its role in facilitating Sikh religious pilgrimage, pointing to its visa-free access initiative for international pilgrims visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

"Pakistan is the proud custodian of many holy sites of the Sikh faith and annually welcomed thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the world. Pakistan also provides visa-free access to the Gurdwara Sahib Kartarpur through the Kartarpur Corridor," the spokesperson said.

"In that backdrop, any claim concerning Pakistan's attempt to target the Golden Temple is absolutely baseless and incorrect, he added.

The latest escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22, when an attack in the IIOJK resort town of Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident, despite providing no public evidence.

In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other's embassies.

Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation, calling it unsubstantiated, but took reciprocal measures through its National Security Committee (NSC). These included halting trade with India, closing Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft, and other countersteps.

Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

In a swift military response, Pakistan's armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, widely regarded as a key asset of the Indian Air Force. Over the following two days, India launched waves of Israeli-made drones, which were also neutralised by Pakistan's military.