Islamabad, Dec 3 (NationPress) A prominent advocate for Khalistan and former President of the now-defunct Punjabi Sikh Sangat (PSS), Gopal Singh Chawla, has publicly accused the Pakistani authorities and intelligence agencies of systematic harassment, claiming that he has been subjected to prolonged confinement and has faced fabricated accusations against him, as highlighted in a recent report.

In audio messages that have recently come to light, Chawla stated that he has been under house arrest for the last two-and-a-half years, confined to a ‘safe and protected’ location due to what he describes as a false narrative suggesting that he is at risk from India.

The report from ‘Khalsa Vox’ details that Chawla has been persistently barred from living with his family, and during his confinement, he has had only a handful of short meetings with his wife and children—mostly occurring at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan's Punjab region.

Chawla further criticized that over 300 gurdwaras in Pakistan are currently influenced by land mafias, accusing them of neglecting these religious sites, unlawfully selling or leasing gurdwara land, and undermining the rights and heritage of the Sikh community.

He indicated that agency officials have warned him of supposed dangers from Afghanistan, which he dismisses as a strategy to divert attention. Instead, he believes that his genuine safety concerns arise from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Ramesh Singh Arora, a notable Sikh figure in Pakistani politics.

Chawla expressed that his extended confinement at Gurdwara Chowa Sahib (Rohtas) in Punjab has led to significant social isolation, financial hardships, and health deterioration.

He has called upon Sikh leaders globally to bring attention to his situation on international platforms, advocating for his safety and exposing what he claims to be severe mismanagement of Sikh religious sites in Pakistan.

In response to this situation, the local Sikh Sangat of Sri Nankana Sahib, led by former granthi Mahindra Pal Singh, released a video appealing to Pakistani authorities and security agencies to ensure Chawla’s safety and wellbeing,” the report noted.

Earlier on Monday, a report from the UK-based newspaper Asian Lite pointed out that the worsening conditions for Sikhs in Pakistan reflect the ongoing erosion of religious freedoms, with incidents of disappearance, forced conversions, and targeted killings threatening the fragile promise of equality enshrined in the nation’s Constitution.

“From missing persons to coerced conversions, from targeted killings to systemic discrimination, Sikhs in Pakistan face a reality where justice is elusive and prejudice is unchecked. Unless urgent measures are implemented to protect minority rights, the community’s existence in Pakistan will remain under severe threat, and the country’s commitment to pluralism will continue to decline,” the report concluded.