Supreme Court seeks reports on Sikh target killings, Jaranwala riots

As reported by Geo News, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has, on Friday, asked the Inspectors General (IG) of Police to provide reports on cases pertaining to minority rights, asking what steps have been taken by the government on the Jaranwala tragedy and target killing of minority citizens.

Sardar Bishna Singh, chairman of Baba Gurunanak Welfare Society, appeared in the Supreme Court, where he pointed out that while some of the people from Sikh community went to India in 1947, “We stayed in Pakistan, our religion also started from here. We are not claiming that we are being wronged because we are Sikhs but the Qabza group (land grabbers) does not take anything into consideration — temple, mosque, gurdwara.”

He also highlighted the destruction of gurdwaras across the country, including Lahore.

The Supreme Court described the target killing of the Sikh community as deplorable with Justice Ijazul Hassan stressing that the murders have forced Sikh community to move to different places or leave Pakistan, emphasizing that practical steps need to be taken to ensure their safety.

The Supreme Court asked all the IGs for a detailed report on the recent target killings and also issued notices to the Attorney General and all Advocate Generals.

The Apex Court also called for a report from a JIT on the Jaranwala tragedy, asking that the initial report be given to the petitioner.

The petitioner said that after the Jaranwala tragedy, hateful speeches continue unabated.

The court sought the report on Jaranwala tragedy from the Advocate General Punjab and the IG Punjab and also sought a report from the Punjab Interior Department on the steps taken after the incident, adjourning the hearing of the case for two weeks.