'New low even for Pakistan': MEA slams Islamabad for targeting places of worship in India

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri speaks during a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' amid the ongoing India-Pakistan military conflict. (PTI)

The government on Friday came down heavily on Pakistan for targeting places of worship in India and said that several gurudwara, convents and temples along the Jammu and Kashmir border were damaged in the unprovoked shelling Pakistan resorted to.

Addressing a joint press briefing with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that Pakistan had resorted to a new low by targeting and shelling places of worship.

"We have seen the Pakistani side targeting and shelling the places of worship with a particular design. It included Gurudwaras, convents and temples. This is a new low even for Pakistan," Misri said.

The remarks by India's foreign secretary came a day after Pakistan resorted to intense shelling from across the border, targeting the civilian population in multiple cities along the border on Thursday evening. Pakistan's inhumane act came after India carried out 'Operation Sindoor', a joint military operation targeting nine sites in Pakistan and the PoK identified as terrorist bases on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Since the strikes, heavy shelling by Pakistan has been reported from the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts. India maintains that its actions are non-escalatory and aimed at striking terrorist bases located within the country with precision while ensuring minimum collateral damage.

Pakistan resorted to adventurism as it attempted to strike military installations and the civilian population on Thursday evening. India said it has foiled Pakistan's attempts and that the latter's attacks were repulsed effectively by India's armed forces.

On Friday, India condemned the firing along the border by Pakistan on May 7 and said that two children were killed in Pakistani shelling at a church.

"During heavy shelling across the Line of Control, a shell fired from Pakistan landed just behind the Christ School run by the Carmalites of the Mary Immaculate Congregation in Poonch. Tragically, the shell fired from Pakistan hit the home of two students of the Christ School," Misri said, adding that both students lost their lives, and their parents were severely injured.

"Another Pakistani shell struck a Christian convent of nuns belonging to the congregation of Mother Carmel, damaging water tanks and destroying solar panel infrastructures. Nuns, school staff and local residents took refuge in an underground hall beneath the school during the shelling by Pakistan. The school was closed at the time of the incident, fortunately. Otherwise, more losses would have occurred," the Foreign Secretary further said.

Misri also accused Pakistan of targeting places of worship with a particular design. "It included Gurudwaras, these convents and temples. This is a new low even for Pakistan."

On Thursday, India had claimed that a Gurudwara located in Poonch was targeted in Pakistani shelling and ad resulted in the death of some local members of the Sikh community, including a Ragi of the Gurdwara.

In its response to India's charges, Pakistan sought to deny any such action and accused India of orchestrating an attack on its own cities, including Amritsar where the Golden Temple is located, and lay the blame on Islamabad.

Dismissing Pakistan's response, Misri said that Pakistan's response was consistent with its pattern of deceiving and misleading the world and that its attempts will never be successful.

"You would recall that yesterday, I shared an incident related to the attack on a Gurudwara in Poonch. Instead of owning up to these attacks, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Air Force that were targeting cities like Amritsar and trying to blame Pakistan. This is nothing but a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disown its acts of aggression, and it is consistent with their pattern of deceiving and misleading the world. It will not succeed," Misri said.

The government also termed Pakistan's claims against India of attacking its own cities as a "deranged fantasy".

"(The claim that) We would attack our own cities is the kind of deranged fantasy that only the Pakistani state could come up with. Perhaps they do it because they are well-versed in such actions as their history would show," the foreign secretary said.

At the briefing, Misri also countered the disinformation coming from Pakistan about India targeting the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack. "This is yet another blatant lie and part of Pakistan's disinformation campaign. As we saw in the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan is again desperately trying to give a communal hue to the situation with the intention to create discord."

"Again, we are not surprised. India's steadfast unity is a challenge to Pakistan," he added.