The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting religious sites in its latest cross-border assault — an attempt, it said, to give the military conflict a communal colour and provoke discord within India. This is the new low even for Pakistan and its depth can only be expected from that country, MEA said.
In his Friday briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistan’s actions were “true to type" — both in aggression and in disinformation — noting that a gurdwara in Poonch was shelled, killing local Sikh community members, including the ragi (hymn singer) of the shrine. He dismissed as “blatant lies" Pakistani claims that India had targeted the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara, calling it part of a wider campaign to “sow communal discord."
“The Pakistani state is once again resorting to communal provocation — targeting places of worship and then spreading lies to disguise its own aggression," the MEA added, referencing the shelling of religious sites and fabricated claims circulated by Pakistan’s state machinery.
The communal targeting came as part of a broader escalation. In the early hours of May 7, Pakistani forces carried out heavy shelling across multiple sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, including Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, and Udhampur, using high-calibre artillery and armed drones.
One shell landed just behind Christ School in Poonch, run by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Congregation, killing two children and severely injuring their parents. Another shell struck a nearby Christian convent, damaging water tanks and solar power infrastructure.
“The school happened to be closed at the time — otherwise, we may have witnessed even more tragic casualties," Wing Commander Vyomika Singh noted, adding that several priests, nuns, and staff took refuge in an underground hall during the shelling.
Foreign Secretary Misri said Pakistan’s repeated targeting of religious institutions — gurdwaras, churches, and schools — reflected a “particular design" and was being cynically masked by denial and propaganda. “Instead of owning up, they outrageously claim India is attacking its own cities — a deranged fantasy only the Pakistani state could invent," he said.
Follow us
