MUMBAI Prominent Pakistani comedian Shakeel Siddiqui was beaten up and tortured by extremist Indian elements in Mumbai on Wednesday, television reports said.

Shakeel was expected to perform in the famous show 'Comedy Circus,' for which he was staying in Mumbai.

Special Assistant to Sindh CM for Media, Syed Waqar Mehdi on Wednesday strongly condemned the torture faced by Shakeel Siddiqui.

In a statement issued in Karachi, Waqar Mehdi said the artist had received threats before the incident took place, but at that time the matter was not duly attended to.

He called upon the Indian government to provide protection to Shakeel Siddiqui and take action against the culprits.