PHC orders inclusion of Sikhism in census form

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Interior and chief statistician to include Sikhism as religion in the 2017 census form.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan issued the directives to include Sikhism in the form before start of the second phase of the ongoing census.

The bench issued direction on the writ petition filed by Gurpal Singh, Radesh, Gharanjeet Singh, Jatindar Singh and others from Peshawar and Mardan districts, through their lawyer Shahid Raza Malik.

The lawyer submitted that the religion of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Qadianis, Ahmadis, scheduled castes and others have been mentioned in the census form, but the Sikhs have been ignored.

He pointed out that Sikhism is the fourth biggest religion in Pakistan, with about 100,000 members here.He further submitted that the Sikh community was protesting across the country after learning that they weren’t been mentioned as a religious community in the form.

The petitioners said their rights were secured and guaranteed under the law, but these have been violated during the ongoing census.The petitioners said every religion was mentioned in the census form except Sikhism, which is a religion recognised all over the world.