PESHAWAR – Members of the Sikh community living in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan have welcomed a court ruling allowing them to carry a ceremonial dagger, known as kirpan, in public.
However, they say the court should not categorise kirpan as a weapon requiring a licence since they carry it in pursuance of an obligatory religious practice.
Carrying a kirpan is among the five articles of faith in Sikhism and the Sikh community has fought – won and lost – legal battles around the world to be allowed to bear kirpan in public.
Last year, Sikh social activist Gurpal Singh filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court, asking that his community members be allowed to carry the sacred item in public, including in government offices and on public transportation. The court this week granted the community the right but ordered it to seek renewable licences for the kirpan and pay a fee.
“The reason why I went to the court was the deteriorating law and order situation in the province and a prohibition on us to carry kirpan in government offices and the city’s mass transit system,” Singh explained, saying the Sikh community would no longer face problems when entering public places with the kirpan.
Pakistan is considered the birthplace of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in Nankana Sahib in 1469.
“People of our faith have been targeted in Peshawar and I took the case to the court to ensure their protection,” Singh said. “They are all thankful to the Peshawar High Court over its judgement, though they are hurt since they will need a licence for the kirpan, which will require periodic renewals.”
Singh said he would now approach all “relevant forums” and meet parliamentarians to lobby to seek a licencing exemption for kirpan.
Rights activist Imran Takkar praised the court’s recent judgement on the kirpan, calling it significant for citizenship rights in the country.
“All citizens have the right to practice their faith,” he said. “We should make it easy for the Sikh community to do that. Pakistan should follow the example of the United States and European countries who have allowed Sikhs to carry kirpan.”
