NAROWAL: The Punjab government has reclaimed 8 kanals and 18 marlas of land belonging to Gurdwara Babey Di Beri, which had been illegally occupied for three decades. Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif handed over the possession of the recovered land to the Gurdwara administration and said that he would try to get the remaining property reclaimed, including its historic pond.

Speaking at a ceremony in Sialkot, Mr Asif, alongside Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, distributed Minority Cards to 1,547 non-Muslim households under the Punjab government’s initiative led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The minister praised the scheme, saying that the government was committed to ensuring equal rights for religious minorities. He added that a healthy society must be inclusive, where minorities enjoy the same, if not greater, rights as the majority.

Mr Asif highlighted the rich history of religious coexistence in Sialkot, where Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs have lived peacefully since Pakistan’s creation. He said that while only 10 Sikhs remained in the city after 1947, their numbers have now exceeded 100 due to supportive policies. He invited Sikh pilgrims worldwide to visit Sialkot and witness the government’s commitment to minority rights.

Minister Arora praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for declaring minorities as “the crown on her head” and for allocating Rs4 billion for the construction, renovation, and maintenance of minority places of worship and graveyards. He said that the Minority Card initiative had already registered 93,000 non-Muslim households, with 50,000 qualifying for financial assistance. Next year, the programme will expand to 75,000 households.

The Punjab government is also preparing a plan to restore 46 abandoned gurdwaras, 25 churches, and temples at an estimated cost of Rs1.4 billion. Mr Arora further pointed out that Pakistan is the only country where Sikh marriages are officially registered under the Sikh Marriage Act, unlike India, where they must follow the Hindu Marriage Act.

The reclaimed land and pond were formally handed over to the Gurdwara management by government officials, with plans for full restoration already underway.

Earlier, Mr Asif, Mr Arora, MPAs Mansha Ullah Butt and Faisal Ikram, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Zulqarnain Langrial and Additional Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Singhira handed over the reclaimed pond to the Gurdwara management. Mr Asif instructed that a restoration plan for the pond be prepared.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2025