Pakistan gurdwara demolition sparks Sikh protests, restoration ordered

Lahore,UPDATED: Jul 1, 2026 21:30 IST

A historic gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab province has been demolished by a local businessman, prompting protests from members of the Sikh community and a response from the provincial government. Officials said the demolition involved Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad, around 70 km from Lahore.

After the protests, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the matter. On Wednesday, Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora visited the site and announced that the gurdwara would be restored immediately.

According to a Punjab government official, the businessman demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate from the department concerned. "The businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned. The department has not taken notice of it till the Sikhs of the area protested," the official told PTI.

Arora visited Gurdwara Singh Sabha along with the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, Assistant Commissioner Imran Ali Harl, the Chief Officer of the Municipal Committee, officials from the Auqaf Department and others. During the visit, he heard the grievances of local Sikhs.

Speaking to the media, Arora said preliminary information from the Auqaf Department showed that a local businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the NOC from the relevant department. He said Chief Minister Maryam had made it clear that the government was fully committed to protecting the fundamental rights of minorities and safeguarding their places of worship under all circumstances.

The minister directed the Auqaf Department to immediately conduct an inquiry into the ownership and status of the land on which Gurdwara Singh Sabha stood. He said initial information suggested that the property was not registered as Auqaf land. "I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest," he said.

Arora said restoration work on Gurdwara Singh Sabha would begin immediately and reiterated that the Punjab government remained committed to preserving the province's historic religious heritage and protecting places of worship belonging to minority communities.

Meanwhile, local traders operating around the site raised concerns over the restoration plan. They said the premises had remained abandoned for nearly 80 years, during which several families had settled there and many shops had been set up. The traders said the restoration could displace dozens of families and urged the government to provide alternative housing and livelihood options to affected residents if eviction became unavoidable. Overall, the demolition of the historic gurdwara has led to protests, a government inquiry and an order for its immediate restoration, even as concerns remain among people living and working around the site.

With PTI Inputs

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