Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora stated that the relationship between the Sikh community and Pakistan is very strong.
He praised Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif for winning the hearts of minorities by announcing the issuance of special cards for minority communities during the Diwali celebration, as well as plans to increase the number of minority families and eliminate the distinction between minorities and majorities. The Sikh community, along with the Christian and Hindu communities, paid tribute to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
These remarks were made after cutting the cake for the 244th birthday of Maharaja Ranjit Singh im Gujranwala today . During the event, prominent leaders from the Muslim and Sikh communities, along with members of the Christian community, warmly welcomed the Minister. Sikh leaders expressed their confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, cheering enthusiastically.
The Provincial Minister directed district administration officials to complete the renovation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Haveli by June 28. He paid rich tribute to Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s contributions, stating, “For the first time, we are celebrating Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s birthday, and historically, for the first time, the Chief Minister’s House was opened for minorities during Diwali.”
Additionally, Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz emphasized that there should be no distinction between minorities and majorities. The Minister announced that next year’s anniversary celebrations will also take place at Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Haveli. Deputy Commissioner Naveed Ahmed informed the Provincial Minister that the renovation work will be completed at an estimated cost of 90 million PKR, supervised by experts from the Walled City of Lahore and the Archaeology Department.
He further stated that the district administration is taking steps to promote tourism, inviting the global Sikh community to recognize Gujranwala as a peaceful district with many historical sites, including Gurdwara Aroori Sahib, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Haveli, and the samadhis of Mahan Singh and Churr Singh. He also mentioned other historical sites in Wazirabad.
The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala Naveed Ahmed, Head of International Security Canada Sardar Kancharm Singh, Assistant Commissioner City Ikram Bin, and representatives from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, as well as police and other district administration officials.
