LAHORE: A prominent leader of Pakistani Sikhs is under threat from unidentified people who have been attacking his business in Lahore for almost six months now, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Sardar Bishon Singh, who has served as the president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, has always been vocal against the government’s ‘injustices’ with his community. He has been selling imported cloth in shops across Punjab’s provincial capital since he moved from the tribal areas in 1993.
“I have been threatened with dire consequences if I do not stay silent over issues,” Singh said. “They have threatened me with death and financial loss.”
Other than the threats, he said, cloth worth Rs7 million was looted from his shop in Azam Cloth Market. Another one of his shops, located in Zeenat Tower on the Model Town Link Road, was shut down by the building’s owners.
On September 19, Singh went to his shop only to find that owners had cut power supply and constructed another shop, blocking the way to his shop. “According to the tower’s map, there is no space on which the new shop can be constructed, so I have approached the court where I obtained a stay order. But when I tried to stop the construction, owners threw me outside the tower and closed my shop.”
Police refused to cooperate with him in the case. “Instead of hearing my complaint, police began inquiring if I belonged to India or Pakistan,” Singh said. “I tried to approach Malik Owais, Superintendent Police (SP) Model Town, but he said he had no time to entertain Sikhs as he had to deal with more pressing issues.”
“I then approached Zahid Aslam Gondal, the deputy secretary for law and order at the [Punjab] Chief Minister Secretariat, but I was not treated well. [Punjab] Governor Latif Khosa has now asked me to come see him,” he said.
When approached, SP Owais admitted that he had ignored Singh’s complaint because he had other commitments but said he has referred the application to relevant officials.
Owner of the building, Rashid Ahmad, also seemed to feel no remorse over shutting down Singh’s shop and admitted that he had cut electricity supply but claimed that it was because Singh owed him Rs0.5 million on account of maintenance charges for five years.
But for Singh, this could just be the end of the rope for his patience. “If the government of Pakistan cannot protect my life and even my business in one of its safest cities, then I should be allowed to migrate from this country, which is [only] for Muslims,” Singh said.
News Source: Tribune
