A legislator from Narowal, Ramesh Singh Arora became the first from the minority Sikh community to take oath as a minister in the Punjab province of Pakistan on Wednesday.
Arora is a three-time Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Narowal. He took oath as a minister in the Cabinet of freshly sworn-in Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief Minister Maryam Nawaf Sharif, daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The ceremony was held at the Governor’s House in Lahore.
Maryam’s uncle Shehbaz Sharif was recently sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Recently, he was elected as the chief of the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).
He said, ‘For the first time since Partition a Sikh has been inducted into the Cabinet of the Punjab province. I won’t just work for the safety and well-being of Sikhs but all minorities, including Hindus and Christians living in Pakistan.”
Arora was re-elected as an MPA from Narowal in the recently held elections from his native place where Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak is located.
He was also appointed as the “Ambassador at large” last year for the Kartarpur Corridor. Arora is likely to get the minority affairs portfolio.
‘I have several plans for the welfare of minorities in Pakistan, especially Punjab. Though the Sik Marriage Act was passed here, it’s yet to be implemented. We will get it implemented. We will also bring a new Interfaith Harmony Policy so that all minorities, including Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and others, feel safe and secure, said Arora.
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