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India condemns mistreatment of Sikh police officer in Pakistan
New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) India on Thursday strongly condemned the mistreatment and forcible eviction of a Sikh police officer from his house in Pakistan.
“We have seen reports of a Sikh policeman being mistreated and forcibly evicted from his house and also objectionable questions being raised about his faith,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said here.
“We strongly condemn this. This is not the first time that the mistreatment of religious minorities in Pakistan has happened,” he said.
Pakistan’s first Sikh police officer, Gulab Singh Shaheen has claimed that he was thrashed and evicted from his house in Lahore’s Dera Chahal along with his children and wife following a property dispute with Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) – the parent body of Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.
Taking to social media late on Tuesday, Singh claimed that he was evicted by ETPB. “My turban was forced open and hair was untied,” Singh said in a video he shared on Facebook.
He has also appealed to Sikhs across the world to help him and take note of disrespect to a Sikh’s hair and turban.
The ETPB, established in 1960, is a statutory board of the government which administers evacuee properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs left behind by Hindus and Sikhs who migrated to India after the 1947 partition.
On Thursday, Kumar said there have been reports of persecution of other minority communities too in Pakistan.
“Recently there was this incident in Peshawar in which an elderly Sikh leader was murdered,” he said.
“We would like to request Pakistan to investigate this matter and that too honestly. They should take action according to their international obligations to protect the minorities in their country.”
–IANS
ab/mr
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.