Historical pond at Gurdwara Babay Di Berri recovers from land mafia in Sialkot

Lahore March 9, 2025: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, after recovering the historical pond at Gurdwara Babay Di Berri from land mafia, handed it over to the Gurdwara administration. Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora, on behalf of the Sikh community, thanked Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Zulqarnain Langrial, Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Muhammad Iqbal Singhera, Provincial Assembly members M. Mansha Ullah Butt and Faisal Ikram Choudhry for their efforts in reclaiming the Gurdwara land. He also acknowledged the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee with honors for their support.

Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif invited the Sikh community worldwide to visit Gurdwara Babay Di Berri, stating that Sialkot will offer them warm hospitality. He emphasized that minorities in Pakistan enjoy complete freedom to practice their beliefs and customs. He shared his personal experience of visiting the Gurdwara in the 1950s with his father, when no administrative committee existed, and the area was open. Over the past 20-30 years, however, the land had been encroached upon. He remarked that encroaching upon religious land is shameful and stressed that the administration has successfully recovered 8 kanals and 18 marlas of land, with plans to recover more through legal means.

Provincial Minister Ramesh Singh Arora shared that after the partition of India, only 10 Sikhs remained in Sialkot, but their number has since increased to over 100, and the community continues to grow.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif handed over the keys to the pond to the Gurdwara Committee. Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Muhammad Iqbal Singhera briefed Federal Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Provincial Minister Ramesh Singh Arora about the district administration’s efforts in recovering the Gurdwara land.

Prime Minister’s Advisor Shahid Ghaik, City President of Pakistan Muslim League-N Rafiq Moghal, Tipu Sultan, Rana Abdul Waheed, and Sewadar Jaskaran Singh Sidhu were also present at the event.