Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora: A ‘man of fate’ and many firsts

Short Url
Updated 13 August 2024
Follow

Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora: A ‘man of fate’ and many firsts

  • Ruling PML-N party lawmaker is Pakistan’s first Sikh minister, worked for World Bank’s poverty alleviation program before joining politics 
  • 48-year-old says his rise to power in Pakistan’s most influential Punjab province stems from decision by grandfather to stay in Pakistan in 1947

LAHORE: When Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora took oath as the provincial minister for minorities in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province in March this year, he became the first Sikh to ever be appointed a minister in the country’s 77-year history. 

But this was by no means a first for the 48-year-old development sector expert-turned-politician.

From 2013-18, Arora served as the first Sikh parliamentarian in the Punjab Assembly and in 2020 was elected for a second term on a seat reserved for minorities. This year, after Feb. 8 general elections, Arora was re-elected as an MP from Narowal — the home of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak — and began a third term in the Punjab assembly, this time as provincial minister for minorities. In 2008, he founded the Mojaz Foundation, which works to uplift the underprivileged and poor in Pakistan, and was recently also elected as chief of the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).

A self-described “man of fate,” Arora says his rise to the echelons of political power in Pakistan’s most influential province stemmed from one decision his grandfather took in 1947: to stay in Pakistan following the partition of the Indian Subcontinent.

“It was fate that I was born here, that my family stayed, it was fate that we moved to one of the biggest minority-heavy districts of Pakistan, Narowal,” Arora said. 

While Narowal is 99 percent Muslim, according to figures from the deputy commissioner’s office, many Sikhs, Christians and Hindus also live there.

“Before 2013 there was no member [of the Punjab assembly] from the Sikh community,” Arora said. “So, likewise this is the third time I’ve been a Punjab assembly member, and this is the first time in the history that someone from the Sikh faith is now a cabinet minister [in Pakistan].”

“PRIVILEGED MINORITY”

Arora, who worked for the World Bank’s poverty alleviation program before joining politics, has often had to fend off questions about coming from a “privileged minority,” with Sikhs widely believed to be better treated than other groups in Pakistan where the religion has an extensive heritage and history. 

Many Sikhs see Pakistan as the place where their religion began: the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 in a small village, Nankana Sahib, near the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.

“Particularly [talking] about the Sikh community and Sikh heritage in Pakistan, it brings me happiness to say that the bond between a Sikh and Pakistan is the same between flesh and bone,” the minister said. 

“Because the Sikh faith had its origins in, the faith started in [present-day] Pakistan from Nakana Sahib [and] Kartarpur Sahib [in Narowal district] is the founder’s last resting place, so a Sikh coming to Pakistan feels very safe here.”

Arora did not comment on the killings of Sikhs in recent years by suspected militants, particularly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but said the Sikh community was a “privileged minority” while other groups who were not so well-treated had “rightful reservations.”

“They have valid demands which the government has to resolve, and we are working on resolving them,” Arora added. “Minorities are the crown I wear on my head, and protecting minorities is the precedent our government needs to set.” 

Listing the achievements of the Punjab government in the five months since the new administration was sworn in, the minister said the minority affairs department had seen a 188 percent increase in its budget, with the minority development fund increased from Rs1.5 million to Rs2.5 billion. Grants for religious festivals of minority groups had increased almost 600 percent, Arora said. 

“This means that we are standing with our minorities, we look after them,” he argued. 

“The worship places that had fallen to landgrabbers, for a long time now, whether it was the Christian community, the Hindu community and some gurudwaras [Sikh temples], we had those freed, so we are determined and committed that in Punjab we are going to protect our minorities.”

In June this year, the Punjab government also approved the Sikh Marriage Act, which had been championed by Arora for years.

“Today, the Sikh marriage act [2018] rules are in place, we are trying to implement them, we are trying to enact the Hindu personal laws as well, we are working on Christian personal laws,” he said. 

“Hindu marriage act has been passed in the national assembly, the rules of business are almost in place, we have started working on implementation. My own department has a five-year road map we are working toward.”

On Aug. 11, celebrated in Pakistan since 2009 as National Minorities Day, the Punjab Assembly called a special session to commemorate minorities “for their services to and love for Pakistan.”

Even at that session, Arora pointed out, the problems of minorities were spoken about openly rather than brushed under the rug:

“[We] discussed a way out from those situations, because we are focused on addressing the reservations that minorities have, and the rightful demands they make of the state.”

“UNITED IN OUR RESPONSE”

Arora, the ‘ambassador-at-large’ for the Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free passage for Indian Sikh pilgrims to travel to the final resting place of Guru Nanak in Pakistan, said he was working so more people would come from the neighboring country.

“We have declared on-arrival visas for Sikhs, or Christians or other minorities, we want people to come to Pakistan,” he said.

Asked about his message for Pakistanis on the nation’s 78th Independence Day, he warned that there were “external forces” working to destabilize the country, including through terror attacks.

“We have to be unified in our response,” Arora said, wishing Pakistanis on the anniversary of the country’s independence.

“Our narrative [has always been], Pakistan’s narrative has been, peace, love and prosperity. We have to establish that clearly, going forward … I’d like to invite everyone to join us in making this a peace loving, independent and successful Pakistan.”


200,000 Afghans left Pakistan since deportation drive renewed in April

Updated 04 June 2025
Follow

200,000 Afghans left Pakistan since deportation drive renewed in April

  • Pakistan has launched strict campaign to evict over 800,000 Afghans who have had their residence permits canceled
  • In total, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan since expulsion drive was first launched in November 2023

ISLAMABAD: More than 200,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the government renewed a deportation drive in April, Islamabad’s interior ministry told AFP.

Pakistan has launched a strict campaign to evict more than 800,000 Afghans who have had their residence permits canceled, including some who were born in Pakistan or lived there for decades.

According to the ministry, more than 135,000 Afghans left Pakistan in April, while the number dropped to 67,000 in May and more than 3,000 were sent back in the first two days of June.

Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan over the past several decades, fleeing successive wars, as well hundreds of thousands who arrived after the return of the Taliban government in 2021.

A campaign to evict them began in 2023, prompting hundreds of thousands to cross the border in the span of a few days, fearing harassment or arrest.

In total, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families being deported from Iran, recording 15,675 crossing in May, a more than two-fold increase from the previous month.

The influx across both borders threatens to strain Afghanistan’s already “fragile reception and reintegration systems,” IOM said in a statement.

Islamabad has labelled Afghans “terrorists and criminals,” but analysts say the expulsions are designed to pressure neighboring Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to control militancy in the border regions.

Last year, Pakistan recorded the highest number of deaths from attacks in a decade.

Pakistan’s security forces are under enormous pressure along the border with Afghanistan, battling a growing insurgency by ethnic nationalists in Balochistan in the southwest, and the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates in the northwest.

The government frequently accuses Afghan nationals of taking part in attacks and blames Kabul for allowing militants to take refuge on its soil, a charge Taliban leaders deny.

Some Pakistanis have grown weary of hosting a large Afghan population as security and economic woes deepen, and the deportation campaign has widespread support.

Pakistan is now threatening to lift the protection granted to the 1.3 million Afghans holding refugee cards issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees at the end of June.


Pakistan blockchain chief meets US counterpart amid digital assets adoption push

Updated 44 min 11 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan blockchain chief meets US counterpart amid digital assets adoption push

  • Bilal Bin Saqib meets the director of Trump’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets in Washington
  • He says Pakistan is building a real framework for digital asset adoption and economic modernization

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top blockchain policymaker on Wednesday expressed the country’s ambition to become the Global South’s leader in digital assets during a meeting with his American counterpart at the White House in Washington.

Bilal Bin Saqib, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Crypto & Blockchain and CEO of the Pakistan Crypto Council, met with Robert ‘Bo’ Hines, Executive Director of the US President’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets. The meeting marked a deepening of bilateral engagement on cryptocurrency strategy and blockchain integration between the two countries.

In March, the administration in Islamabad established the Pakistan Crypto Council to help guide national policy on blockchain, digital currencies and crypto-related investments. This was followed by the government’s announcement of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, making Pakistan one of the first Asian countries to integrate Bitcoin into its sovereign asset strategy.

The government also plans to establish an autonomous regulatory body to oversee the country’s digital finance and crypto ecosystem.

“I envision Pakistan to be a leader in the Global South for digital assets,” Saqib said according to a statement circulated after the meeting. “From launching our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to unlocking national infrastructure for crypto mining and AI data zones, Pakistan is building a real framework for digital asset adoption and economic modernization.”

During the meeting, both officials discussed aligning national strategies on decentralized technologies, fostering regulatory coherence and building innovation ecosystems to promote youth engagement and financial inclusion.

Bo Hines, appointed in January by President Donald Trump, heads US policy development on digital assets and works alongside Council Chair David Sacks to position the United States as a global leader in the sector.

Saqib also held a separate meeting with officials from the White House Counsel’s Office to discuss legal frameworks around blockchain governance.

Pakistan’s broader digital asset strategy includes allocating 2,000 megawatts of surplus power to support Bitcoin mining and AI-driven data zones, aiming to turn untapped energy into economic productivity, job creation and digital infrastructure growth.

As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve globally, Pakistan says it is taking proactive steps to integrate private sector innovation with state policy and international partnerships, positioning itself as a key player in the next phase of the global digital economy.
 


Pakistan army says 14 militants killed in counterterror operation in northwest

Updated 52 min 48 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan army says 14 militants killed in counterterror operation in northwest

  • Security forces killed the militants in an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district
  • The prime minister applauds the security forces for their ‘professional excellence’ after the operation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed 14 militants this week in the country’s volatile northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged to completely eradicate militancy from the country.

The operation comes amid a noticeable uptick in militant attacks in Pakistan, particularly in the border regions near Afghanistan.

In recent weeks, Pakistani officials have increasingly blamed India for backing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed umbrella group of militant factions responsible for a majority of attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Islamabad refers to the TTP as Fitna Al-Khawarij, a term rooted in Islamic history that denotes an extremist sect that rebelled against legitimate authority and declared other Muslims as apostates. It also describes the group as an Indian proxy.

“On 2-3 June 2025, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces in general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District, on reported presence of Khawarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna Al-Khawarij,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the Indian-sponsored Khawarij location, and after an intense exchange of fire, fourteen Indian-sponsored Khawarij were sent to hell,” it added.

The ISPR said “sanitization operations” were ongoing to clear the area of any remaining militants, reaffirming the military’s commitment to “wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.”

Prime Minister Sharif also praised the security forces for their “professional excellence” in the North Waziristan operation, saying such efforts were critical to eliminating the threat posed by what he called enemies of humanity.

“We will crush the nefarious designs of these terrorists,” Sharif said in a statement issued by his office. “With the professional capability of our security forces, we will uproot the monster of terrorism once and for all.”

He said the government and the armed forces were fully committed to ensuring the complete elimination of militant violence from Pakistan.
 


Soaring prices put damper on Eid Al-Adha sales at Asia’s largest cattle market in Karachi

Updated 04 June 2025
Follow

Soaring prices put damper on Eid Al-Adha sales at Asia’s largest cattle market in Karachi

  • Prices of small animals have risen by $72, big animals by as much as $251.80, market spokesman says
  • Analysts say Pakistan’s increasing meat exports have constrained supply, driven cattle prices up this year

KARACHI: The Eid Al-Adha festival should be the busiest time of the year at Asia’s largest cattle market in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area. But soaring prices have driven away many of the people who would usually buy cows and goats to sacrifice on the Muslim holiday.

One of Islam’s two main festivals, Eid Al-Adha marks the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command, often distributing meat to the poor.

But this year, people like Nasir Khan, 25, say higher prices mean they cannot afford to carry out the important ritual.

“I can’t afford it this time,” Khan told Arab News, saying he had opted out of a seven-member group he had been a part of for years, which pooled money to buy sacrificial animals as a collective activity. 

This year, the price of an average-sized cow or bull at the Sohrab Goth market had risen by around 94 percent to Rs330,000 [$1,201], said Abdul Jabbar, another buyer who did not disclose his age or profession and had decided against buying once he discovered the steep prices. 

On a hot afternoon earlier this month, Jabbar strolled through the Karachi market as hundreds of cattle sat idle under makeshift tents. 

“The price trend is very high, almost double from last year,” he said.

“The animal we had bought at Rs 170,000 ($611.51) last year is now up for sale at as much as Rs330,000 ($1,187.05).”

“MEAT EXPORTS”

Inflation in Pakistan peaked as high as 38 percent in May 2023. In May 2025, it rose to 3.5 percent, following a significant drop to 0.3 percent in April. But while food and fuel prices have somewhat decreased, financial experts say the prices of sacrificial animals have gone up, mainly due to increasing meat exports. 

In the fiscal year 2023-24, Pakistan’s meat exports reached a record $512 million, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. This growth was driven by a 24 percent increase in export volume, reaching 123,515 tones. 

While the majority of Pakistan’s meat production is consumed domestically, the country has seen significant growth in exports, particularly to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and China.

Increasing meat exports reduces the number of cattle available domestically and during Eid Al-Adha season, when demand is seasonal and peaks sharply, supply becomes constrained. 

“Price hike is due to meat exports and inflation in previous years,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities Limited, explained. 

“We have seen that there is a major increase in the export of livestock in the past three years, around more than 50 percent.”

Zaki Abro, a spokesperson for the Sohrab Goth cattle market, attributed the surge in prices to the availability of fewer animals due to thousands being killed in recent floods.

In 2022, Pakistan experienced devastating floods that resulted in the loss of over 1.1 million livestock. This figure includes approximately 500,000 livestock in Balochistan, over 428,000 in Sindh, and over 205,100 in Punjab provinces. 

“On average the prices of small animals have risen by as much as Rs20,000 [$71.94] while the big animals have gone pricier by Rs 70,000 [$251.80],” Abro said. 

“MARKET IS DULL”

The effects of high prices were visible at the Karachi cattle market last week, with few buyers present despite it being spread over an area of around 1,200 acres and 175,000 cattle up for sale. 

Livestock merchants Muhammad Ismail and Obaidullah confirmed a drop in the number of buyers.

“We have a lot of animals still unsold,” Ismail, 26, said. “This could be maybe because of inflation.”

The traders blamed the high rates they were charging on the higher rates they had to pay wholesalers and the cattle market’s administration. The cost of animal feed had also sky-rocketed, they said. Global supply chain disruptions, local market volatility, inflation, and currency devaluation have all contributed to this rise. 

The cost of fodder had surged by nearly 50 percent, impacting cattle farming, merchants said. 

“Our eight to nine months farming cost for each of these animals this year increased to Rs250,000 [$899.28] from Rs150,000 [$539.57] a year ago,” Ismail explained. 

Trader Obaidullah said sellers also had to pay a fee of Rs30,000 [$107.91] per animal to the cattle market authorities. 

“Last year the market performed well,” Ismail added. 

“All of our animals had sold out. More than half of the market had emptied by this time last year. This year the market is dull.”


PM Sharif pledges to preserve peace in Pakistan’s restive northwestern province ‘at all costs’

Updated 04 June 2025
Follow

PM Sharif pledges to preserve peace in Pakistan’s restive northwestern province ‘at all costs’

  • The prime minister addresses a jirga in Peshawar, praising the sacrifices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people in the fight against militancy
  • He says a committee has been formed to address the province’s financial concerns, with its first meeting scheduled for August

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed to preserve peace in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province “at all costs,” praising the sacrifices of its people and calling for unity against what he described as Indian-backed militant threats.

Sharif made the remarks during a visit to Peshawar, where he addressed a Grand Jirga of tribal elders alongside the country’s army chief and top federal ministers. The visit took place amid a resurgence in militant attacks in the region bordering Afghanistan and growing concern over cross-border threats.

“The sacrifices rendered by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are indelibly inscribed in the annals of our national history,” the prime minister said during his address. “The entire nation salutes your courage, resolve and unwavering commitment.”

He urged tribal elders to stand firm against what he called the “Indian-sponsored Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” a term used by Pakistani authorities for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who they believe are ideologically extremist and backed by foreign actors.

“Peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shall be preserved at all costs,” he said. “The Pakistan Army, in unison with all security institutions and the valiant people of the province, stands firmly united against the Fitna-ul-Khawarij and its foreign abettors.”

Sharif also called for improved bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan and said Afghan soil must not be used by Indian proxies to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

During the jirga, Sharif also addressed financial concerns raised by provincial authorities regarding development funding. He confirmed that a committee had already been formed to review the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, a constitutional mechanism for the distribution of financial resources between the federal government and provinces.

“The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had raised the matter of revisiting the NFC around six weeks ago in Islamabad,” Sharif said. “We immediately formed a committee and provincial nominees have been finalized. The first meeting will be held in August.”

Sharif also praised the youth of the province, calling them a vital national asset and encouraging them to contribute to peace and national cohesion.