Pakistan’s first Sikh minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora aims to work for prosperity of both Punjabs

GS Paul

Amritsar/New Delhi, March 7

Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora has become the first Sikh to occupy a ministerial position in Pakistan’s Punjab after he has been administered the oath along with 17 others in the Cabinet of new Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Arora has been allotted the portfolio of minorities of Punjab province.

Arora intends to be a conduit between the two Punjabs — east Punjab (India) and west Punjab (Pakistan) — for establishing cordial ties and bringing prosperity for both sides of the border. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami greeted him.

Born in Nakana Sahib in 1974, Arora was a three-time Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Narowal and was recently appointed the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). He has also served as a Member of the National Commission for Minorities between 2011 and 2013. He was earlier chairman of the Standing Committee on Commerce and Investment and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council.

He has done postgraduation in social enterprise and studied at Government College, Lahore, and Harvard Business School, US. Arora, who is also the Ambassador at Kartarpur Corridor, said he would also focus on streamlining the pilgrimage between India and Pakistan.

Talking to The Tribune on phone, Arora said it would be his endeavour to break the ice between the two neighbours for the revival of bilateral trade.

The collapse of trade has severely hit the livelihood of scores of people on both sides of the border. “It would be my earnest efforts to take up the matter in the Cabinet so that steps could be initiated in the direction of resumption of bilateral trading between the two Punjabs,” he said.