What happened?

The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, around 70 km from Lahore, was reportedly demolished on the night of June 24 without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the concerned authorities.

The demolition triggered outrage among members of the local Sikh community, who staged protests demanding action against those responsible and the restoration of the historic shrine.

Punjab government orders restoration

A senior official in Pakistan's Punjab government said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took note of the incident following the widespread protests.

Punjab's Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora visited the site and announced that the demolished gurdwara would be restored immediately, NDTV reported.

How did India react?

Condemning the demolition which India considered as "not an "isolated incident", Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a statement, "The systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated."

"We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice. The demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest.

"Further, we urge 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, and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance in Pakistan."