There is huge anger in the Sikh community after the issue of illegal demolition of a 125-year-old historical Gurudwara in Pakistan’s Punjab province without official approval heated up. After the protest, the provincial government has taken cognizance of the matter. The government has issued an order to immediately rebuild the historic ‘Gurudwara Singh Sabha’ and has also started a legal investigation into the ownership of the land. This whole matter is from Farrukhabad, located about 70 kilometers away from Lahore. According to a Punjab government official, the more than 125 years old historical ‘Gurudwara Singh Sabha’ was demolished by a local businessman. It is alleged that no necessary ‘No Objection Certificate’ or official permission was taken from the concerned departments for this. People of Sikh community protested. As soon as they got information about this illegal demolition, people of Sikh community started protesting heavily. After strong opposition from the Sikhs, this serious matter came to the notice of high officials of the government and provincial ministers. Minister Ramesh Singh Arora inspected: Seeing the seriousness of the incident, Provincial Minister Ramesh Singh Arora himself inspected the spot and talked to the members of the victimized Sikh community. After taking stock of the situation, he announced that the repair and reconstruction work of this historical Gurudwara will be started immediately. He has instructed the officials to submit a detailed report on this matter as soon as possible. Initial information shared by the Auqaf Department i.e. Evacuee Trust Property Board has also confirmed that the Gurudwara was demolished without any legal approval. Along with this, the minister has also ordered an inquiry into the ownership of the land, as preliminary investigation has revealed that this property was not registered with the Auqaf department. Minister Ramesh Singh Arora said that the Punjab government is fully committed to protecting the rights of religious minorities and safeguarding their historical places of worship. This kind of illegal activity will not be tolerated with any religious place. On the other hand, this decision of the government has been objected to by local businessmen working around the site. Traders say that this place was lying vacant for the last eight decades (80 years). During this long period, many poor families settled there and many people opened their shops. Local traders appealed to the government. Local traders have appealed to the government that if the encroachment is removed from there for the reconstruction of the Gurudwara, then the homeless families should be given another place to live and complete arrangements should be made for their employment and livelihood. Action will be taken against those who demolish Gurdwaras. This incident has once again raised concerns among the Sikh community living in Pakistan regarding the safety of historical religious places. However, the state government has assured that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in demolition without permission and the shrine will be restored to its original form.
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