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Minority representatives allege that state agencies have leased out sacred minority land under long-term commercial contracts to generate revenue and fund employee salaries
The demolition also destroyed sacred Sikh artefacts, including the holy throne and palanquin associated with the Gurdwara. (News18)
A century-old historic Gurdwara on Archer Road in Quetta has been demolished to make way for a commercial development, triggering outrage among minority communities and civil society groups in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
The demolition reportedly destroyed not only the historic structure but also sacred Sikh artefacts, including the holy throne and palanquin associated with the Gurdwara.
The site is among a number of minority heritage properties in Balochistan that community leaders allege have been targeted for commercial development, often with the involvement or tacit support of state and administrative authorities.
The demolition also affected the Saint Agnes (St Gabriel) School, an educational institution that had served Christian students in the area for around 90 years. With the school building gone, young students have reportedly been forced into makeshift arrangements above commercial hotels.
At the centre of the controversy is the role of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the Pakistani state body responsible for managing properties left behind by people who migrated to India after Partition.
Minority representatives allege that instead of preserving properties of religious and historical importance, state agencies have leased out sacred minority land under long-term commercial contracts, reportedly extending up to 30 years, to generate revenue and fund employee salaries.
The allegations have raised wider questions about the protection of Pakistan’s shrinking minority heritage.
Balochistan Senator Danesh Kumar has highlighted concerns over the systematic targeting of valuable minority heritage plots across the province, alleging that land cartels operate with bureaucratic support.
Community representatives say the scale of the problem is particularly stark for Sikh heritage. Of the roughly 12 historic Gurdwaras that once existed in Balochistan, they claim only two remain functional today, with neglect, encroachment, illegal construction and land grabbing contributing to the disappearance of the others.
Civil society leaders have also pointed to what they describe as a glaring double standard in the treatment of religious minorities. While blasphemy allegations are frequently used against minorities in Pakistan, they argue that law enforcement often fails to act when Muslim land grabbers allegedly desecrate or encroach upon Sikh and Christian religious properties.
The controversy has now brought Sikh, Christian and Hindu Valmiki representatives together.
The three communities have formed a joint alliance under the Consumer Civil Society Balochistan to oppose further alleged encroachment on minority properties and press authorities to protect their religious and cultural heritage.
The alliance has received support from prominent Muslim voices as well. Khair Mohammad Shaheen has openly condemned what he described as a state-backed land mafia, warning that the desecration of minority shrines threatens social harmony and violates basic legal norms.
Leaders from different political and ethnic backgrounds are now demanding the creation of an independent judicial commission to investigate alleged illegal transfers of minority properties and examine how land meant to be protected as religious or heritage property ended up being used for commercial purposes.
Minority representatives also allege that petitions filed by non-Muslims before local courts and administrative authorities are frequently delayed, leaving communities with little effective legal protection as encroachments continue.
Indian intelligence sources cited in the inputs describe the developments as part of a deliberate strategy by state-affiliated elements to dismantle non-Muslim cultural assets and accelerate minority migration.
For the communities living in Balochistan, however, the issue is no longer confined to one demolished Gurdwara. They say the fight is about whether the province’s remaining Sikh, Christian and Hindu heritage will be preserved or gradually disappear under commercial development and alleged land grabs.
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Ask News18Minority representatives allege that state agencies are leasing out sacred minority land under long-term commercial contracts to generate revenue and fund employee salaries. Community leaders and a provincial senator also state that valuable minority heritage plots across Balochistan are being systematically targeted for commercial development by land cartels operating with bureaucratic support.
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Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
Islamabad, Pakistan
September 04, 2026, 2:30 PM IST
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