A Gurdwara, A Mall And A Property Dispute: What Happened In Pakistan’s Quetta?

A dispute over a Sikh religious property in Quetta has put the spotlight on how minority religious heritage is owned, managed and protected in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Sikh community representatives allege that a gurdwara building on Archer Road, which had been used by a school, was demolished and subsequently handed over for commercial development.

Jasbir Singh, chairman of the Balochistan Sikh Council said that the Gurdwara Sri Singh Sabha building had been demolished and handed over to a private company. He also alleged that the Sikh community had not been informed or consulted.

A post by Rajinder Pal Singh Khalsa on X also drew attention to the alleged demolition and called for the matter to be raised with Pakistan’s government.

The claim has not been independently established, and Pakistan’s official property records do not provide a straightforward answer about the site. The central question is therefore not simply whether a gurdwara was demolished, but what was the legal status of the property, who controlled it and what process would have been required for any transfer or redevelopment?

What Happened To The Quetta Gurdwara?

The Sikh community’s account centres on a gurdwara building on Archer Road in Quetta that had been used by St Gabriel’s School. Jasbir Singh told The Indian Express that the building had been established as a gurdwara in the 1930s and that the school moved out after the structure was demolished in June. He alleged that the property was then handed over to a private company for a shopping plaza.

But the account is disputed.

Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said that the property belonged to a Sikh individual rather than a gurdwara. Jasbir Singh disputed that account and said the community possessed documents showing that the property belonged to the gurdwara.

The disagreement matters because the legal regime governing the property depends on its ownership and legal status.

What Does Pakistan’s Property Record Show?

Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) is responsible for administering evacuee trust properties associated with religious and charitable institutions, including Hindu and Sikh properties left behind after Partition.

Its own online records contain two separate Quetta entries.

The ETPB’s list of functional gurdwaras includes Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Quetta, with a listed area of one kanal. Separately, its list of non-functional gurdwaras includes a Gurdawara Sahib near Archer Road, recorded as covering 2 kanal and 12 marla.

The Sikh community’s allegation concerns a gurdwara building on Archer Road, while the ETPB database separately lists a functional Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Quetta and a non-functional gurdwara near Archer Road. The available material therefore does not independently establish that the demolished building was the same property listed by the Board as Gurdwara Singh Sabha.

That leaves a key question: does the disputed site correspond to an ETPB property, privately owned Sikh property, or another property whose status is not accurately reflected in the online records?

Who Controls Minority Religious Property?

The answer depends partly on that unresolved question.

The Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Act, 1975 gives the ETPB responsibility for the management and control of evacuee trust properties and requires records of such property to be maintained. It also provides the legal framework for the management, maintenance and disposal of these properties.

The law does not impose an absolute ban on the disposal of every property associated with a religious institution. It allows the Board to sell, dispose of or transfer evacuee trust property subject to the statutory framework and applicable government directions or approvals. It also assigns the Board responsibilities relating to the maintenance of religious shrines and facilities for pilgrims.

If the disputed Archer Road site was under ETPB control, the relevant question would therefore be whether any transfer or redevelopment followed the process prescribed by law and whether the property’s religious status was properly accounted for. The available material does not establish either that such a process was followed or that it was violated.

What Does Pakistan’s Own Human-Rights Record Show?

The Quetta claim also sits within a broader record of concern over minority rights and religious heritage in Balochistan.

The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) has documented engagement with Sikh, Hindu and Christian communities in the province. Its report Upholding Inclusivity: Minority Rights Initiatives 2022-2023 records consultations with the Sikh community in Balochistan as well as engagement with the Hindu community in Quetta. The report records concerns raised by minority representatives over issues including security, discrimination, education, representation and the protection of religious and cultural heritage.

Pakistan’s Senate has also examined the condition of minority religious sites. Parliamentary discussions have included concerns about the maintenance and neglect of minority holy sites in Balochistan, funding for their upkeep and facilities for worshippers and pilgrims.

More recent parliamentary discussions have called for greater community participation in the management and preservation of minority places of worship.

These records do not establish the Quetta claim. They do, however, show that the management, preservation and protection of minority religious sites remain subjects of institutional scrutiny inside Pakistan itself.

Rights On Paper, Protection On The Ground?

Pakistan’s Constitution provides formal protections for religious freedom and minority rights.

Article 20 guarantees every citizen the right to profess, practise and propagate religion and gives religious denominations the right to establish, maintain and manage their religious institutions. Article 36 directs the state to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities.

Pakistan has also established a statutory National Commission for Minorities Rights, whose functions include addressing alleged violations of minority rights and supporting the protection and rehabilitation of minority places of worship.

At the political level, Islamabad continues to reaffirm the principle of equal citizenship. In August, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said minorities were entitled to equal rights and protections under the Constitution.

The institutional framework therefore exists on paper. The continuing issue is implementation: whether legal guarantees, property-management rules and minority-rights institutions provide effective protection when questions of ownership, maintenance and commercial development arise.

What Happens To Minority Heritage In Balochistan?

The ETPB’s stated position is that minority religious heritage is being preserved and restored.

The Board says it is fulfilling its responsibility to preserve, restore and maintain historic temples, gurdwaras and other minority religious heritage. It has also pointed to restoration efforts and measures to address administrative and legal problems affecting trust properties.

At the same time, Pakistan’s parliamentary and human-rights records show that minority communities have continued to raise concerns about the condition of religious sites, funding, participation and protection.

It is this tension between the stated policy of preservation and the unresolved allegation in Quetta that gives the dispute its wider significance.

The demolition-for-mall claim remains an allegation. Pakistan’s available official records do not yet establish that the building was unlawfully demolished, that it was ETPB property, or that any commercial transfer or redevelopment violated the law.

Until those questions are answered through official records or an investigation, the allegation cannot be treated as an established finding. But the dispute has exposed a wider question over who protects Pakistan’s minority religious heritage when ownership, administration and commercial interests collide.