Islamabad, Jan 31 (NationPress) While the constitution of Pakistan upholds the principles of equality and protection for religious minorities, the situation reveals a stark contrast marked by "continuous betrayal". For these minorities, genuine reform must extend beyond mere words, necessitating independent inquiries, swift enforcement of judicial decisions, accountability for prejudiced officials, and safeguarding against the misuse of blasphemy laws or mob violence, as indicated in a recent report.

“Gurvinder Singh, a Sikh entrepreneur from Peshawar, underscores a disturbing trend of systemic neglect and discrimination against religious minorities in Pakistan. Singh asserts that he was swindled out of PKR 75 million (around USD 270,000) between 2022 and 2023 by three local Muslim partners, Bilal Iqbal, Zulfiqar, and Raj Wali, with whom he co-operated a mobile phone retail outlet. Upon discovering the fraud, he lodged an FIR with the Peshawar police. The accused provided bounced cheques and signed agreements on stamp paper promising repayment, yet they have faced no substantial repercussions,” the report from Khalsa Vox elaborated.

“Judicial rulings from various levels, including the trial court, sessions court, and Peshawar High Court, have favored Singh, yet the offenders remain at large, and his lost funds are unrecovered. Despite requests to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the provincial and federal administrations, and even Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, no intervention has occurred,” it added.

Singh attributes the inaction directly to his Sikh minority status, accusing the Pakistani authorities of systemic bias that disregards justice for non-Muslims.

The report indicates that this challenge is not an isolated case but part of a longstanding issue of failing to safeguard Pakistan’s Sikh community and other minority groups.

Recent reports have revealed that Sikh women have faced targeted abductions, forced conversions to Islam, and coerced marriages, exemplified by the 2019 incident involving Jagjit Kaur in Nankana Sahib, who was kidnapped at gunpoint, converted, and married to a Muslim man, with the judiciary ultimately siding with her captor.

“Sikh men, easily identifiable by their turbans and beards, suffer from verbal and physical assaults, targeted killings (as seen in the 2023 shootings of shopkeepers Dayal Singh and Manmohan Singh in Peshawar and surrounding areas), and land disputes often disguised under blasphemy accusations or mob violence. Gurdwaras and other sites of minority significance face neglect, vandalism, or attacks, as highlighted by the 2020 mob assault on Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib amid tensions surrounding a conversion case,” the Khalsa Vox report stated.

Emphasizing the injustices faced by minorities in Pakistan, the report further stated, “Gurvinder Singh’s plight illustrates how economic exploitation intersects with religious marginalization in Pakistan. When minorities achieve success in business or possess assets, they become targets for fraud or asset seizure, with the state machinery, law enforcement, and judicial authorities failing to provide remedies due to entrenched prejudice.”