LAHORE, Pakistan—The recent appointment of members to the Sikh Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) in Lahore has irked the Pakistan Sikh Council (PSC) patron in Chief.Speaking at a press conference, PSC head Ramesh Singh said: “The Sikh community in Karachi has been ignored during the selection of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. The committee has been there since 1999 and not even once a member from Karachi has been taken in it.”
The appointment to the Prabandhak Committee, which simply means a committee that looks after religious affairs, is a sought-after affair in the Sikh community.
The Prime Minister of pakistan recently gave the nod to a 13-member committee on recommendation of Evacuee Trust Property Board chairman Siddiq ul Farooq. Additional secretary of shrines Khalid Ali will be its secretary.
Selection of the committee head will, however, be done after Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrations beginning in Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, on Nov 8. The PSC reservations in this regard are about not taking “enough members” from Sindh. Ramesh Singh said: “Only one members have been appointed and that too from Deharki, Sindh, where Sikhs are already in a very small number.” He said there were just 20 families there, whereas in Karachi there were 5,000 Sikhs and the representation would have been much fairer, had the committee chosen to look towards the city as well.
