Decades-old historic gurdwara was demolished by a local businessman in Pakistan’s Punjab province, sparking protests from the minority Sikh community
02 July, 2026 – New Delhi : The BJP on Thursday attacked Pakistan for failing its Sikh minorities.
Party leader Amit Malviya cited the demolition of a 125-year-old historic Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad and said, “This is not merely an act of vandalism; it is a stark reminder of the systematic neglect and deliberate erasure of Sikh heritage in Pakistan”.
The BJP leader said the hypocrisy is impossible to miss.
“On one hand, Pakistan’s agencies seek to mislead and provoke Sikhs against India. On the other, the Pakistani state is allowing the destruction of Sikh history, faith and identity within its own borders,” he said.
Malviya said the Sikh community has seen through Pakistan’s devious agenda and knows who truly safeguards its faith, heritage and rights, and who seeks to exploit it for geopolitical ends.
“Pakistan and its collaborators in India will be reduced to political insignificance. There is a message in this for the ruling AAP as well,” he said.
Historic gurdwara demolished by local businessman
The decades-old historic gurdwara was demolished by a local businessman in Pakistan’s Punjab province, sparking protests from the minority Sikh community.
According to an official of the Punjab government, the historic Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad, some 70 kms from Lahore, was recently demolished by a local businessman.
“The businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned. The department has not taken notice of it till the Sikhs of the area protested,” the official told PTI.
He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the matter following a protest by the Sikh community in the area.
On Wednesday, Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora visited the Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Farooqabad and announced its immediate restoration.
Arora, accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, Assistant Commissioner Imran Ali Harl, the Chief Officer of the Municipal Committee, officials from the Auqaf Department and others, visited the site and also listened to the grievances of local Sikhs.
Speaking to the media, Arora said that according to preliminary information provided by the Auqaf Department, a local businessman had demolished the gurdwara without obtaining the NOC from the department concerned.
He said Chief Minister Maryam had made it clear that the government was fully committed to protecting the fundamental rights of minorities and safeguarding their places of worship under all circumstances.
The minister directed the Auqaf Department to immediately conduct an inquiry into the ownership and status of the land on which Gurdwara Singh Sabha stood, adding that initial information suggested the property was not registered as Auqaf land.
“I personally inspected the site and instructed the relevant authorities to submit a fact-based report at the earliest,” he said.
‘Deeply distressing’, ‘despicable act’: India
India had on Wednesday described as “deeply distressing” the reported demolition of an old gurdwara in Pakistan and said it strongly condemns this “highly deplorable” and “targeted act of vandalism”, even as it called upon Islamabad to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs came in response to media queries on reports on the alleged demolition.
“We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan. We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine,” the MEA said.
India also called upon the government of Pakistan to “expeditiously investigate” this matter and “bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice”.
“The demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib should be restored and reconstructed at the earliest,” the statement said.
The MEA said “its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern”.
It flagged that this is “unfortunately not an isolated incident, as we have also seen similar reports earlier”.
“The systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan continues unabated,” the MEA said.
The Tribune