A decades-old historic gurdwara was demolished by a local businessman in Pakistan’s Punjab province, sparking protests from the minority Sikh community, officials said on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).
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.
Mr. 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, Mr. 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.
He added that restoration work on Gurdwara Singh Sabha would commence immediately and reiterated that the Punjab government remained committed to preserving the province’s historic religious heritage and protecting places of worship belonging to minority communities.
India reacts to demolition, calls it ‘deeply distressing’, ‘despicable act
India on Wednesday described as “deeply distressing” the demolition of the 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.
Further, the MEA in its statement urged the government of Pakistan to “discharge its obligations to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of its minority communities and their places of worship, and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance in Pakistan”.
Delhi Sikh body seeks MEA help to protect gurdwara in Pakistan
A delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met the officials of MEA on Wednesday and sought intervention over the demolition of the gurdwara.
The delegation submitted a memorandum to the officials, requesting the government to ensure that no further demolition or damage is caused to the gurdwara.
It also requested for restoration of the demolished portions of the gurudwara and taking effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents involving places of worship and heritage sites of minority communities in Pakistan.
“We also request the Government of India to lodge a strong diplomatic protest with the Pakistan government, conveying serious concern of the Sikh community over repeated unfortunate incidents and emphasising the need to ensure religious freedoms of minority communities,” said the DSGMC.
The delegation expected the Ministry to take prompt and effective action in the matter and pursue all appropriate measures to safeguard the sacred heritage site and prevent any further damage to it.
Meanwhile, local traders operating around the site expressed reservations over the restoration plan.
They said that the premises had remained abandoned for nearly 80 years, during which time several families had settled there and numerous shops had been established.
The traders said the restoration could displace dozens of families and urged the government to provide alternative housing and livelihood opportunities to any affected residents if eviction became unavoidable.
Published – July 02, 2026 11:46 am IST
