Journalism of Courage
Alleging that he was “falsely implicated” in a murder case of his own party colleague and that life was “nothing short of hell for minorities in Pakistan”, Baldev Kumar (43), a former legislator from Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has sought asylum in India for himself and his family. Kumar, a native of Barikot and a former Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from the minority-reserved seat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, is currently in Khanna in Punjab’s Ludhiana district where his in-laws reside.
While his wife Bhawna and two children- Sem Singh (9) and Riya (11) had reached Khanna four months back, Kumar came on August 12. The family has rented a room in Khanna to live for the time being.
Appealing to PM Narendra Modi to give him asylum in India, Kumar told The Indian Express, “Those who say that Imran Khan is building a Naya Pakistan should visit and see what is the condition of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians there. In fact, even Muslims are not safe in Pakistan. Imran Khan is on the way to make Pakistan a terrorist state. No one is safe in that country. I want my family to live a safe and happy life so I have decided to live in India. There is no question of returning to Pakistan now. I will be soon make a written appeal to PM Modi to let me and my family live here.”
Khanna SSP Gursharandeep Singh said that Baldev Kumar is a Pakistan citizen visiting India on valid documents including three-month visa which is valid till November. “Till November he is eligible to stay here. We haven’t given him any security,” said SSP.
Ex-MPA Baldev Kumar was arrested in the murder case of his colleague MPA Dr Soran Singh who was shot dead near his residence in district Buner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 22, 2016.
According to the reports in Pakistan newspapers, Baldev Kumar and other suspects were arrested within 24 hours of the murder and police had claimed that he conspired the murder due to ‘political rivalry’ as he wanted to become an MPA from minority-reserved seat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013 but PTI had instead named Soran Singh as first priority in list of candidates submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for minority-reserved seats.
According to Pakistan election rules for minority-reserved seats, the candidate named at number one in the list of preferential candidates (submitted by the winning party) is nominated to the provincial assembly.
Later, when Baldev Kumar was still in jail, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a notification declaring jailed Baldev Kumar as MPA in place of Soran Singh, going by the rule that as per the list of candidates submitted by PTI for reserved seats, Baldev Kumar was named as second priority after Soran Singh. However, the party had strongly objected to ECP notification and had even expelled Kumar after his arrest. Soran Singh was also the special assistant to KP chief minister on minority affairs. However, in April 2018, an anti-terrorism court in Buner acquitted Kumar of murder charges giving him ‘benefit of doubt’. By the time Kumar came out of jail, his term as MPA had almost ended.
Kumar alleged that every effort was being made in Pakistan to eliminate minorities and that his colleague was also a victim of the same extremism. “Whosoever speaks truth cannot survive in Pakistan. My colleague Soran Singh wasn’t killed by me, but those extremists who cannot see minorities living there. I was framed and implicated because otherwise they would have been exposed. I was lodged in jail for two years without any fault of mine and later acquitted. Is this justice? Minorities are ill-treated in Pakistan. Power supply to gurdwaras and temples are cut intentionally during prayers,” says Kumar, a Sehajdhari Sikh. “Now, I have also become a Keshdhari Sikh and kept turban and long hair,” he added.
Kumar’s daughter Riya (11) is a thalassemia patient and he said that her treatment is possible in India only. “There are no medical facilities available in Pakistan but in India I can afford her treatment,” he said.
Supporting Kartarpur Corridor he said, “I support Kartarpur Corridor opening, but Sikhs in India should know that Imran Khan is not doing it out of any love for Sikhs. Hindus and Sikhs are being killed in Pakistan.”
“Extremists even try to convert minority community children to Islam in schools,” he alleged. Kumar said that he got married to Bhawna from India as his father wanted so. “He wanted our ties and relations with India to be kept alive with my marriage so he got me engaged in India,” says Kumar, native of Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
