Lahore: In an outrageous display of discrimination against minorities in Pakistan, Gulab Singh Shaheen, the first Sikh traffic police officer of the country, and his family members were allegedly kicked out of their house in Dera Chahal village here by officials of the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB).

Singh, who had been appointed as a traffic police officer in 2006, said the officials forced open his turban and manhandled him. “I was pulled by my hair and dragged out in front of my wife Paramjit Kaur and three sons. This is how Sikhs are treated in Pakistan,” he said.

On April 4 this year, PETPB officials had thrashed Singh in a bid to kick him out of his house. Singh had been on medical leave ever since.

He further alleged that he was assaulted at the behest of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Tara Singh. PETPB is the parent body of PSGPC.

“I had obtained a stay from court. The next hearing was on July 18. The house has been with my family since 1947 and we have been duly paying bills,” he said.

Singh further accused the PETPB officials of disrespecting his religion. “My faith was disrespected. If they wanted me to evict the house, they could have sent me a notice,” he said.

PETPB, however, said that it had sought police assistance to take action against all personnel occupying PETPB properties and help clear Gurdwara Chaal Langar Hall of illegal occupants.

The rise in hate crimes against the minority communities settled in Pakistan has increased exponentially in the last few months.

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