For the fist time in Pakistan’s history, a member of the minority Sikh community took oath as a minister in the Punjab province. This week, Ramesh Singh Arora, a three-time Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Narowal, joined the Cabinet of recently sworn in Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief Minister Maryam Nawaf Sharif. He is likely to get the minority affairs portfolio. Who is Ramesh Singh Arora? Born in the city of Nakana Sahib in 1974, Arora has a postgraduate in entrepreneurship and SME Management from Government College University and has previously worked for the World Bank’s Poverty Reduction Programme in Pakistan before joining politics. In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Arora explained how his family ended up residing in Pakistan’s Punjab province. “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,” he said. Arora’s political career Arora’s political career spans over a decade. He was first elected as a member of the provincial assembly of Punjab in 2013, and was then re-elected seven years later after a seat reserved for non-Muslims fell vacant due to the death of a member. He has previously served as chairman of the Standing Committee on Commerce & Investment between 2014-17 and as chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Rights & Minorities Affairs during 2017-18. Sikh Activism He has been a staunch advocate for Sikh rights in the country. Notably, he was appointed as the “Ambassador at large” for the Kartarpur Corridor. He also played a prominent role in the passage of the ‘Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Act 2018’ in Pakistan. “Though the Sikh Marriage Act was passed here, it is yet to be implemented. We will get it implemented,” he told The Indian Express in a recent interview. In 2016, he was awarded the National Human Rights Award for his activism. Around 17,000-20,000 Sikhs and over 20 lakh Hindus currently reside in Pakistan, according to reports. Most Sikhs live in or around Nankana Sahib, Lahore and Peshawar.
