Pak minister assures reconstruction of demolished gurdwara | Chandigarh News

Amritsar: Pakistan Punjab provincial minister for minority affairs Ramesh Singh Arora has acknowledged demolition of a portion of 125-year-old Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad (Mandi Chuharkana), promising swift reconstruction and restoration.Members of the 346-strong Sikh jatha, which returned from Pakistan after observing the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, said Arora assured them that the govt would act against the land mafia. In a video message, Arora, who is also the president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said the Punjab govt has sought a report from the Sheikhupura deputy commissioner after videos of the demolition surfaced. He plans to visit the site and expects restoration work to start within one or two months. According to media reports, the demolition of part of the historic gurdwara last Friday triggered widespread concern among Pakistan’s Sikh community. Posts uploaded on social media say the local Sikhs protested the alleged role of a land mafia in damaging the religious site, forcing authorities to halt further demolition. The local administration has since sealed the premises and imposed a temporary ban on any construction or demolition activity. Arora said while the building had been closed due to its dilapidated condition, he repeated the provincial administration’s commitment to preservation, quoting Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz’s slogan, “Asi purana viraasa dhahuna nahi, asi purane viraase nu bachauna hai (We do not demolish old heritage; we preserve our historic heritage)”. Sikh activists and locals alleged the gurdwara’s architecture was intact until about four years ago when its main dome was demolished. They claimed that despite police complaints, neither the Evacuee Trust Property Board nor the PSGPC took effective action to safeguard the heritage site.