Pakistani Sikhs split over sale of gurdwara land

Lahore, Jan 6: The Sikh community in Pakistani Punjab is split over the sale of gurudwara land to build houses. On Tuesday, a group of Sikhs from nka Sahib demanded the resigtion of Siddiqul Farooq, chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, of illegally selling cal land of Gurdwara Jam Asthan for a housing scheme, The tion newspaper reported on Wednesday. After staging a protest near the Punjab assembly, dozens of Sikhs gathered outside the Lahore High Court to express solidarity with Mastan Singh, the Sikh leader who faces trial for “anti-state activities”. A high court division bench on Tuesday accepted the bail petition of Mastan Singh, a former president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). In his petition, Mastan Singh accused Sham Singh, the incumbent president of the committee, of having a false case registered against him. “Siddiqul Farooq and Sham Singh joined hands with the land mafia and illegally sold cal land belonged to Gurdwara Jam Asthan, nka Sahib, for a housing scheme,” his counsel Anwar Zahid told the court. (IANS)