PSGPC, Hindu Temple Committee representatives say move threatens ETPB’s federal status; urge national leadership to intervene

LAHORE — Nazrana Times

Leaders representing Pakistan’s Sikh and Hindu communities have expressed serious concern over the Sindh government’s move to appoint Deputy Commissioners (DCs) as administrators of evacuee trust properties, arguing that the decision could undermine the federal status and authority of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
Addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday, representatives associated with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), the Hindu Temple Management Committee and other minority bodies called for the ETPB to retain its federal character.
The minority leaders maintained that evacuee trust properties linked to historic gurdwaras, temples and other religious sites should continue to be administered at the federal level rather than being divided or placed under separate provincial administrative structures.
They also referred to the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 and the Pant-Mirza Agreement of 1955, arguing that the federal framework plays an important role in safeguarding minority religious properties and ensuring consistent administration across Pakistan. 

Legal and Constitutional Concerns Raised

The representatives raised objections to the Sindh Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Act 2019, claiming that the provincial legislation conflicts with the existing federal framework governing evacuee trust properties.
Former PSGPC president Sardar Bishan Singh said the Evacuee Trust Property Board was not devolved to the provinces following the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
According to Bishan Singh, the Implementation Committee constituted under Article 270AA retained the matter at the federal level. He further stated that a notification issued on January 11, 2012, placed the Board under the administrative control of the relevant federal ministry.
He argued that where constitutional authority has not been transferred to a province, such powers cannot simply be assumed through provincial legislation.
The minority representatives therefore called for the constitutional and legal position of the ETPB to be protected and clarified by the federal authorities.

Concerns Over Gurdwaras, Temples and Pilgrimage Management

The leaders also warned that separate provincial control of evacuee trust properties could complicate the management of religious sites and arrangements for Sikh and Hindu pilgrims, particularly those travelling to Pakistan from India and other countries.

They pointed out that the ETPB plays a central role in coordinating arrangements connected with religious pilgrimages, including liaison with federal authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.
According to the representatives, maintaining a unified federal administrative structure is important for the security, preservation and management of historic gurdwaras, temples and other minority religious properties.
They cautioned that any administrative dispute between federal and provincial authorities could affect pilgrimage arrangements and create concerns among minority communities regarding the protection of their religious heritage.

Appeal to President, Prime Minister and Federal Government

Among those raising concerns were Sardar Bishan Singh, Sardar Jaskaran Singh, Sardar Professor Dr. Mampaal Singh, Amar Nath Randhawa and other community representatives.
They jointly appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir, the federal government and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to take notice of the issue.
The representatives urged the federal leadership to safeguard what they described as the ETPB’s constitutional, legal and administrative authority and to ensure that the management of evacuee trust properties continues under a nationally coordinated framework.
They said the issue goes beyond administrative control and directly concerns the preservation of Sikh and Hindu religious heritage, minority rights and Pakistan’s international image regarding interfaith harmony and protection of religious sites.