Land attached to Sikhs Shrines sold at throwaway prices in Pakistan

Amritsar October 4 (ANI): The Sikh Diaspora on Sunday raised a hue and cry over the alleged sale of land attached to Sikh Shrines in Pakistan.

According to reports, the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) has reportedly sold around 850 canals worth multi-million rupees on a nominal price, which includes a piece of land of nearly 311 canals belonging to Mota Singh near the posh locality of Defense Colony in Lahore and second piece of land of nearly 500 canals belonging to Samadh Bhai Mann Singh and Gurdwar Deh in Lahore.

Sikhs living in Pakistan has strongly registered their protest against the sale of Sikh land by PETPB.

Recently PETPB had also sold land belong to Gurdwara Chuna Mandi and Gurdwara Babe Nanki, but they had to withdraw the deal after strong protest by the international Sikh diaspora.

Darshan Singh from Pashawer said that even they had go to the court to get justice for the land in Chuna mandi, which was sold illegal and it was only after the intervention of the court that PETPB withdrew the deal.

Dr. Pritpal Singh, convener of American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (AGPC), told ANI from California, that they have taken serious note of the deals and added that they have taken the matter of earlier deals with the PETPB chairman Asif Hashmi.

He also said that Hashmi, has even assured them that no further deal would be done without consulting the Sikhs living in Pakistan.

Pritpal Singh further said if the PETPB does not cancel the deal, they might go to the Supreme Court to get back the land belonging to the Sikh Shrines.

Meanwhile, Joginder Singh, Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), said that it was a matter of shame for the Government of Pakistan, as their department has been leasing out the land belonging to Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

He also appealed to the Sikh diaspora to collectively register their protest against the PETPB and stand with Pakistan Sikh Gurdawra Parbhandhak Committee.

In Pakistan, there are nearly 172 enlisted historical Sikh shrines where as Pakistan Government allows international Sikh pilgrims to visit only six of them.

Joginder Singh said that it could be one of the reasons that PETPB has been selling many of the land of the other Sikh Shrines. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)