Pakistan’s Sikh religious body on Friday elected a caretaker president after its first chief Sardar Sham Singh, credited with changing the face of Sikh shrines in the Muslim-dominated country, died this week.
Sardar Tara Singh was elected the caretaker ‘Pardhan’ at an emergency meeting of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee here. Mr. Tara Singh, who is in his 40s, is the youngest member of the 10-member PSGPC.
All other nine-members of the committee unanimously elected Tara Singh, a graduate from Sindh province who has business interests in cotton trading.
The meeting was called to elect the successor of Sardar Sham Singh, who died of brain haemorrhage on Sunday. The 80-year-old Sham Singh was elected the first president of the PSGPC after it was established by Pakistan government in 1998.
He was re-elected for several other terms including in 2015. Sham Singh has been credited with changing the face of Sikh shrines in Muslim-dominated Pakistan, which before his taking over as the president were a symbol of neglect.
Friday’s emergency meeting was presided over by Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Saddiqul Farooq. The ETPB looks after the holy places of the minorities in Pakistan.
“Sardar Tara Singh has been elected as caretaker president of PSGPC. The full-time president will be appointed in a two-month time,” ETPB spokesman Amir Hashmi said.
He said members paid rich tributes to Sham Singh and it was decided that the board would bear all the expenses his family made for his treatment.
