The Balochistan government has transferred the ownership of a 200-year-old Gurdwara, that was turned into a school after the partition, to the Sikh community.
The worship place is located at the Masjid Road in Quetta.
After a Supreme Court verdict in 2014 pertaining to the Peshawar church attack case, Sardar Jasbir Singh, the chairman of the Balochistan Sikh Council, had moved the high court for the ownership of the building. The court finally ruled in his favour and ordered the restoration of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha.
The temple stood empty for a year or two when most Sikhs left Pakistan for neighbouring India after the British partitioned the subcontinent into separate nations in 1947, following two centuries of colonial rule.
Under the government’s guardianship, a school was later set up in the temple building, which remained functional until recently, when Sikhs won a legal battle to have the property returned, temple custodian Govind Singh said.
Meanwhile,Jasbir express gratitude to the court, district administration, and government and added that they were never discriminated against on the basis of religion in Balochistan. He said the people the city were supportive and 'we can freely exercise our religious practices there'.
After the government has reverted its status, the school in the temple will be moved to some other location, said an official. The Education Department said that the education of girls won’t be affected, adding that the department will soon designate another building for the school.
Balochistan CM's aide on minority affairs termed it a historic decision of the current government led by Jamal Kamal.
In February 2020, the district authority of Zhob handed over the 200 years old temple to the Hindu community. The building was being used as a school for boys for over 70 years.
The worship place is located at the Masjid Road in Quetta.
After a Supreme Court verdict in 2014 pertaining to the Peshawar church attack case, Sardar Jasbir Singh, the chairman of the Balochistan Sikh Council, had moved the high court for the ownership of the building. The court finally ruled in his favour and ordered the restoration of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha.
The temple stood empty for a year or two when most Sikhs left Pakistan for neighbouring India after the British partitioned the subcontinent into separate nations in 1947, following two centuries of colonial rule.
Under the government’s guardianship, a school was later set up in the temple building, which remained functional until recently, when Sikhs won a legal battle to have the property returned, temple custodian Govind Singh said.
Meanwhile,Jasbir express gratitude to the court, district administration, and government and added that they were never discriminated against on the basis of religion in Balochistan. He said the people the city were supportive and 'we can freely exercise our religious practices there'.
After the government has reverted its status, the school in the temple will be moved to some other location, said an official. The Education Department said that the education of girls won’t be affected, adding that the department will soon designate another building for the school.
Balochistan CM's aide on minority affairs termed it a historic decision of the current government led by Jamal Kamal.
In February 2020, the district authority of Zhob handed over the 200 years old temple to the Hindu community. The building was being used as a school for boys for over 70 years.