A Pakistan-based businessman allegedly demolished a historically important Gurdwara in Punjab province without permission from the authorities, prompting the administration to order immediate restoration of the site.
The incident triggered protests by the local Sikh community, after which the government ordered an inquiry and pledged to rebuild the holy place of worship.
Officials said the over 125-year-old Gurdwara Singh Sabha is located in Farooqabad, about 70 km from Lahore. It was reportedly demolished by a local businessman without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC), according to a Punjab government official.
Officials added, “The businessman demolished the Gurdwara without obtaining the required NOC from the department concerned.” "The matter came to the government's notice after members of the Sikh community staged protests," they added.
The incident later drew the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who directed the authorities to look into the matter following the protests.
Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora on Wednesday visited the site along with senior district officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, representatives of the Auqaf Department, and members of the local administration.
He inspected the site, interacted with members of the local Sikh community, and announced that the Gurdwara would be rebuilt immediately.
As per the preliminary investigation, the demolition was carried out without the required permission.
The minister ordered an inquiry into the ownership and legal status of the land. "I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest," Arora said.
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