Former Sikh chief booked for ‘blasphemy’ in Nankana Sahib

LAHORE (Web Desk) – Nankana Sahib police have registered a case against Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC)’s former chief Sardar Mastan Singh, and his 20 to 25 Sikh accomplices under blasphemy and other charges.

According to PSGPC, the former chief along with his 20 to 25 Sikh aides were involved in desecrating temple, condemning creation of the State and advocating abolition of its sovereignty etc. on the eve of main ceremony to mark the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.

Dawn News reported that the police have also arrested Mastan Singh besides initiating a search operation in the area to capture his accomplices under FIR No 900/15 registered on the application of Sardar Sham Singh — the sitting Paradhan (chairman) of the PSGPC — a body dealing with affairs of Sikh pilgrims arrival to Pakistan in collaboration with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

The FIR registered under section 295, 123-A, 440, 506, 186 and 147 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), there was a main ceremony on the eve of the 547th birth anniversary of Baba Gurunanak on Nov 25 and State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Hasnat Shah was the chief guest.

“While I was taking the chief guest to ceremony after receiving him, Sardar Mastan Shah and his 20-25 companions carrying swords, broke main gate of the Janam-Asthan in the Gurdawara Gurunanak Sahib and started raising hate slogans against the State. They later attacked the PSGPC office and broke its windows, door and glasses besides assaulting the security and other officials on duty with clubs,” the FIR reads.

They also snatched mike from the stage secretary and abused the PSGPC members, officials and others in the presence of a number of Sikh pilgrims.

The suspects, as per FIR, addressed the participants saying that the Pakistan government wanted to limit the Palki Sahib procession to the premises of the Gurdawara on the pretext of security concerns.

“A government which cannot provide security to 20,000 people, how can it provide security to a population of 200 million people. We will take the rally to Gurdawara Kiara Sahib and if some bad thing happened to us, the government would be responsible,” the FIR quotes Mastan Singh as having said.

Later, the suspects forcibly took the rally to Gurdawar Kiara Sahib by chanting slogans against the PSGPC.