A decades-old historic gurdwara in Pakistan’s Punjab province has been demolished allegedly without official approval, triggering protests from the local Sikh community and prompting the provincial government to order its restoration.
The Gurdwara Singh Sabha, over 125 years old, is located in Farooqabad, about 70 km from Lahore, was reportedly demolished by a local businessman without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC), according to a Punjab government official.
“The businessman demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required NOC from the department concerned. The matter came to the government’s notice after members of the Sikh community staged protests," the official said.
The incident drew the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who directed authorities to look into the matter following the protests.
Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora on Wednesday visited the site along with senior district officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, representatives of the Auqaf Department and local administration.
After inspecting the site and interacting with members of the Sikh community, Arora announced that the historic gurdwara would be restored immediately.
According to preliminary information shared by the Auqaf Department, the demolition was carried out without the required permission. The minister ordered an inquiry into the ownership and legal status of the land, noting that initial findings suggested the property was not registered as Auqaf land.
“I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest," Arora said.
He reiterated that the Punjab government was committed to protecting the rights of religious minorities and preserving historic places of worship. He said restoration work on Gurdwara Singh Sabha would begin immediately.
However, the proposed restoration has drawn objections from local traders operating around the site. They said the premises had remained abandoned for nearly eight decades, during which several families had settled there and numerous shops had come up.
The traders urged the government to provide alternative housing and livelihood support to any families that may be displaced if the restoration requires eviction.
The incident has raised concerns among Sikhs over the preservation of historic Sikh religious sites in Pakistan, even as the provincial government has assured action against any unauthorised demolition and pledged to restore the shrine.
PTI inputs
