KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
30-Oct-2024
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on October 30 in Lahore, announced a waiver on visa fees for Sikh pilgrims from the United States (US), Canada, and the United Kingdom (UK).
23-Oct-2024
A spokesperson for the Punjab government in Pakistan announced on October 23 that Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved a distribution of PKR 10,000 to 2,200 Sikh and Hindu families in the province as part of a 'festival card' initiative ahead of Guru Nanak's birth anniversary and Diwali. This financial aid aims to support the celebration of these religious festivals, with special arrangements being made for foreign pilgrims visiting for Guru Nanak Dev's 555th birth anniversary. The government has outlined plans for transport, accommodation, and food services to ensure a smooth experience for the pilgrims.
22-Oct-2024
India and Pakistan on October 22 extended the validity of their agreement on the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for another five years, ensuring uninterrupted access for Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. India also urged Pakistan to waive the USD 20 service charge imposed on each pilgrim. Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar confirmed the renewal and reaffirmed the government's commitment to facilitating Sikh pilgrims' access to their holy sites.
07-Oct-2024
Ramesh Singh Arora, the first Sikh provincial minister of Pakistan’s Punjab, announced on October 7 that a significant number of Sikh diaspora members are expected to visit Pakistan for Guru Nanak Dev's 555th birth anniversary celebrations. He attributed this to friendly policies, streamlined visa facilitation, and development projects at gurdwaras. Arora, who also heads the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), noted that over 15,000 Sikh pilgrims are anticipated, with overall attendance expected to exceed 60,000.
30-Sep-2024
The government of Pakistan’s Punjab province, along with Punjab's first Sikh minister, Ramesh Singh Arora, on September 30 in Lahore, advised Indian Sikhs visiting the country to carry US dollars instead of Indian currency due to complaints of unfair exchange rates. The advisory was issued following multiple reports of exploitation. Arora also urged Indian Sikhs not to pay extra fees to group leaders during their visits for religious festivities, including the upcoming 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 14.
22-Sep-2024
The two-day commemoration of the 485th Joti Jot anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji concluded at Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan on September 22. The event featured a Nagar Kirtan procession to the India-Pakistan border, the unveiling of a statue of Bhai Mardana, and the sowing of seeds under the "Kheti Sahib" initiative.
01-Sep-2024
Ramesh Singh Arora, Punjab’s Sikh Minority Affairs Minister in Pakistan, on September 1 launched a PKR 88-crore project aimed at enhancing religious tourism by upgrading facilities at gurdwaras in Punjab Province. The initiative includes constructing 100 rooms at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib and renovating other key gurdwaras to attract global Sikh pilgrims. Arora emphasized the project's completion by November 2025 to coincide with Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary celebrations. The government is also setting up botanical gardens and initiating karsewas to further enhance the appeal of these sacred sites.
10-Aug-2024
On August 11, Pakistan’s Sikhs and Hindus decided to observe 'National Minority Day' to highlight issues such as untouchability, attacks, and discrimination against them in Pakistan. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) pledged its support to raise these concerns. Pakistani rights activist Imran Chatha called for accountability for those harming minority communities, while Jaskaran Singh Sidhu of Gurdwara Babe Di Ber announced meetings with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to seek enhanced safety and security.
03-Aug-2024
According to sources, Sikhs and Hindus in Pakistan have launched a campaign to amend the Succession Act of 1925, arguing that it unfairly limits inheritance rights for their communities, particularly for women. Prof. Kalyan Singh Kalyan emphasized that the Act, originally designed for Christians, fails to ensure equal inheritance rights for Sikhs and Hindus. Pushpa Kumari from the Human Rights Commission (HRC) noted that the current law often results in property being transferred to male relatives rather than daughters, underscoring the need for legal reform to address these inequalities.
27-Jul-2024
The Punjab provincial government in Pakistan recently approved the Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Registrar Rules 2024, marking a historic first in the implementation of such legislation. Engaged Sikh couples are eagerly seeking to be the first to register their marriages under the newly enacted Sikh Marriage Act of 2024. This new Act allows for the official registration of Sikh marriages, a significant change from the previous practice of only recording marriages in gurdwaras.
24-Jul-2024
The Cabinet of the Pakistan government introduced visa-on-arrival privileges on July 24 for Sikhs holding passports from countries other than India and waived visa fees for travelers from 126 nations. This initiative aims to boost tourism and generate revenue, specifically targeting Sikh pilgrims visiting historic gurdwaras in Pakistan.
19-Jul-2024
According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the Hindu population in Pakistan increased from 3.5 million in 2017 to 3.8 million in 2023, although their share of the total population decreased from 1.73% to 1.61%. The Christian population grew from 2.6 million to 3.3 million, while the Sikh and Parsi populations were 15,998 and 2,348, respectively. Pakistan's total population rose from 207.68 million in 2017 to 240.46 million in 2023.
15-Jul-2024
According to sources, only two of the five Sikh hardliners from India's list of 20 most-wanted men, who were released after the 2001 Parliament House attack, remain alive and are believed to be hiding in Pakistan under government patronage. Wadhawan Singh Babbar, over 70 years old, leads the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and is involved in the Punjab insurgency, wanted for numerous serious crimes. Ranjit Singh Neeta, leader of another terror outfit, Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), faces charges including murder and arms smuggling. Recent intelligence suggests Pakistan may be reviving its "bleed India" strategy, marked by military ambushes in Jammu and sightings of suspicious individuals near border districts.
14-Jul-2024
Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs and President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, highlighted efforts to reclaim lands belonging to minority worship places in Punjab province, Pakistan, following the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He praised recent actions reclaiming the pond at Gurdwara Babe Di Beri in Sialkot from illegal occupants, which had been under land mafia control for 77 years.
10-Jul-2024
According to sources, there is an alleged plot within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to replace Ramesh Singh Arora, Punjab's first Sikh minister and current president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), with a Christian minister in Pakistan's Minority Affairs Office, a position historically held by a Christian. Critics, including a faction within PML-N, accuse Arora of misconduct and have called for his dismissal to restore the position to a Christian.
09-Jul-2024
Kartarpur Management Unit Deputy Secretary Saifullah Khokhar stated on July 9 that Pakistan has completed the 420-meter-long bridge at the Kartarpur Corridor zero line, overcoming a two-and-a-half-year delay. The completion prepares the bridge for use pending the finalization of a 10-feet section on the Indian side. Initiated to provide a flood-resistant route to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib for Sikh pilgrims, the project, costing PKR 4.53 million, was funded by Pakistan's Public Development Fund with construction by the Frontier Works Organisation and National Engineering Services Pakistan.
09-Jul-2024
Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal apologised for his controversial remarks about Arshdeep Singh’s Sikh religion on live TV, acknowledging his mistake in an interview.
03-Jul-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gajinder Singh, who led the group that hijacked an Indian Airlines aircraft to Lahore in 1981 and was one of the most-wanted persons in the records of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), passed away at the age of 73 after a brief illness in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 3. He was the founder of the separatist organization Dal Khalsa and had spent 14 years in a Pakistani prison for the hijacking. Since his release in 1995, Gajinder had been living in exile. After the terror attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the UMHA released a list of 20 people to Pakistan for extradition, with Gajinder being one of them.
02-Jul-2024
According to sources, Pakistani Sikhs are concerned that the conflicts between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Indian Punjab might weaken these crucial institutions. PSGPC president Ramesh Singh Arora, also Pakistani Punjab's first Sikh minister, stressed that the SGPC is the supreme religious body for Sikhs worldwide and that they are disheartened by the allegations from dissident leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal against its leadership. He called for investigations into allegations of sacrilege and violations of Sikh conduct.
28-Jun-2024
The relocation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's statue from Lahore Fort to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan highlights broader concerns regarding religious fundamentalism and challenges faced by minority communities. Originally installed to honor his legacy, the statue faced multiple instances of vandalism, prompting its move to Kartarpur Sahib. The statue's repeated vandalism at Lahore Fort and subsequent move suggest ongoing tensions around cultural heritage and the representation of non-Islamic figures in Pakistan's historical narrative.