Islamabad, An eight (8) member delegation of Sikh community, headed by Mr.
Samuel Payara (Chairman, Implementation Minority Rights Forum), comprising
Baba Makhan Singh, Baba Gurpal Singh, Dr. Sahib Singh, Sardar Bishan Singh,
Amrik Singh, Kaka Singh, Satnam Singh and Dharam Singh paid a courtesy call
on the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Umar Ata Bandial, at the
Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad.

The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan welcomed the delegates and
felicitated them on Minorities Day. His lordship briefed them about the rights of
minorities as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
1973. He further added that in Pakistan, every citizen has the right to profess
and practice their respective faiths. He termed the courts in Pakistan as the
custodian of the fundamental rights of the people, which have always been
cognizant of the rights of minorities and have delivered judgments to enforce,
implement and address issues faced by minorities in Pakistan. Considerable
strides have been made to safeguard the religious properties of the minorities, in
particular the Christian and Hindu communities.

The delegation apprised the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan about
the Sikh history and various issues, including their security and protection of
their religious properties. The Hon’ble Chief Justice termed the safeguard of
minorities rights as the fundamental duty of the state and assured the delegates
of taking up the matter with the concerned authorities. He stressed upon a
collective resolve and effort to address the prevailing myriad challenges being
faced by the country. The delegation presented a souvenir of a golden Kirpan to
the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan as a token of respect and gesture of
goodwil