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Meet Ramesh Singh Arora, first Sikh minister in Pakistan's Punjab
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, 48, is a legislator from the Pakistani district of Narowal.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, a three-time member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in Pakistan, became the first member of the Sikh community to take oath as a minister in the Punjab province on Wednesday, representing the minority in the provincial assembly. The cabinet in the province was formed by the newly elected Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government led by chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of the three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, 48, is a legislator from the Pakistani district of Narowal. In a phone call with The Indian Express, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said, “It is for the first time since Partition in 1947 that a Sikh has been inducted in the cabinet of Punjab province. I won’t just work for the safety and well-being of Sikhs but all minorities, including Hindus and Christians living in Pakistan.”
Who is Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora?
-Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, born in Nankana Sahib, holds a postgraduate degree in entrepreneurship and SME management from Government College University, Lahore.
-Before entering politics, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora contributed to the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Programme in Pakistan. In 2008, he established the Mojaz Foundation, dedicated to assisting the underprivileged in Pakistan.
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-In the recent Pakistani elections, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora was re-elected as MPA from Narowal, his hometown and the location of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, Guru Nanak's final resting place. He was also appointed as “Ambassador at Large” for the Kartarpur Corridor last year.
According to The Indian Express report, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora mentioned that during the 1947 partition, his family opted to remain in Pakistan rather than migrate to India, unlike the majority of Sikh/Hindu families. “I was born in Nankana Sahib but later we moved to Narowal. My grandfather had chosen to stay back in Pakistan during partition on the insistence of his dear friend. Just for the sake of friendship, he had chosen to stay back,” he said.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora played a significant role in implementing the Sikh Marriage Registration Act 2017 in Pakistan. He introduced the bill as a private member and unanimously passed by the Assembly in March 2018.
Recently, Arora was unanimously elected as the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) for a three-year term.
Arora’s role as head of Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora was unanimously elected as the President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) on March 1, serving a three-year term.
Arora, PML-N, was also appointed as the ambassador to the Kartarpur Corridor last year, succeeding Sardar Ameer Singh.
The Kartarpur Corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, India. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019 to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, facilitating Indian Sikh pilgrims' visa-free visits to one of their religion's holiest sites in Pakistan.
