Authorities demolish gurdwara in Lahore citing safety concerns

The locals say the gurdwara, which was in dire need of repair and renovation work, was demolished by a team of district authorities. Sikh community members said they had on several occasions written to the authorities and even to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) but failed to get any response. With time, the structure became frail and was considered a safety threat

Lahore : Gurdwara Chubcha Sahib, located in the capital city of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has been demolished by district authorities citing safety concerns in the locality, according to local media reports.

Gurdwara Chubcha Sahib, located in the capital city of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has been demolished by district authorities citing safety concerns in the locality, according to local media reports.

The locals say the gurdwara, which was in dire need of repair and renovation work, was demolished by a team of district authorities. Sikh community members said they had on several occasions written to the authorities and even to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) but failed to get any response. With time, the structure became frail and was considered a safety threat.

In a separate incident, 96 fibre huts, in Gurdwara Janmasthan Sri Nankana Sahib, that were used to accommodate pilgrims have been taken apart, as part of the exercise to build a ‘sarai’ (inn) on that land.

According to vernacular media, ETPB chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani came down heavily on local authorities asking them the reason for issuing such an order when even the foundation of the proposed ‘sarai’ has not been laid.

A meeting of the ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) members regarding the issue of the demolition of accommodation of pilgrims in Gurdwara Janmasthan is all set to be the focal point of Sikh pilgrims to celebrate Parkash Purb next month.

The PSGPC has, however, defended the actions, saying that the proposal to replace the huts with a high-end ‘sarai’ with all the latest facilities has been on for the last few months.

PSGPC president Amir Singh said that the huts were quite old and were not fit to accommodate pilgrims.

Temples and gurdwaras in Pakistan are often the targets of mob violence and local authorities. In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on places of worship of religious minorities in Pakistan.

The country has been repeatedly slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interests of its minorities.