For Mardan gurdwara, over ₹1 crore announced by religious and minority affairs minister
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a grant of PKR 4 crore ( ₹1.36 crore) for a gurdwara in the province and PKR 10 lakh ( ₹3.40 lakh) each for the families of a Sikh couple who were shot dead inside the place of worship.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s minister for religious and minority affairs Sahibzada Adnan Qadri visited the gurdwara in Mardan district on Monday and expressed solidarity with the Sikh community while condemning the killings.
The couple, identified as Jagannath and his wife Asma Wanti, were serving as caretakers of the gurdwara in Babu Mohalla in Mardan, about 60 km northwest of Peshawar. They were shot dead inside the gurdwara on June 17. The suspect, identified as Sher Shah, was later arrested.
Qadri said Islam is a religion of peace that advocates the protection of non-Muslims, interfaith harmony and religious tolerance. He said the Sikh community had been an integral part of the region for centuries and continued to play an important role in society.
The minister said police were conducting a thorough investigation. The gurdwara, known as Dera Hoti Wala Baba Karam Singh, is a historic structure in Mardan dating back approximately 150 years.
