Geneva, September 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Patiala Foundation, an Indian non-governmental organisation holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), has raised concerns at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) over the protection and preservation of Sikh, Hindu and other minority religious heritage sites in Pakistan.
The foundation raised the issue during the 63rd session of the UNHRC in Geneva through a written statement and an oral intervention by its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ravee Singh Ahluwalia, during the General Debate.
In its submissions, the foundation referred to findings presented before Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on the Minority Caucus, according to which only 37 of 1,817 Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan were reported to remain functional. The same figure was cited by the foundation during its oral intervention at the Council.
The foundation expressed concern over the preservation, management and protection of places of worship and heritage sites belonging to religious minorities. It also referred to international concerns regarding attacks on places of worship, forced conversions and the vulnerability of religious minorities in Pakistan.
The foundation cited findings and concerns raised by international bodies, including the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Its 2025 country update documented religious-freedom concerns in Pakistan involving Hindus, Christians and other minorities, while the 2026 USCIRF recommendations continued to list Pakistan among countries of particular concern.
The foundation also referred to United Nations human rights concerns regarding forced conversions and marriages involving women and girls from religious minority communities in Pakistan. UN documentation has recorded allegations involving Christian and Hindu women and girls and called attention to the need for effective protection and investigation.
A key issue highlighted during the intervention was the reported demolition in July 2026 of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farukhabad, near Lahore. The incident was cited before the UNHRC as an example of concerns surrounding the protection of minority religious heritage.
The Patiala Foundation urged the Human Rights Council to encourage Pakistan to implement recommendations made by its Parliamentary Committee on the Minority Caucus, strengthen oversight of minority religious properties and ensure accountability in cases involving alleged demolition, encroachment and desecration.
It also called for damaged religious sites to be restored in consultation with affected communities and for Sikh, Hindu and other minority communities to have a direct role in protecting and managing their sacred places.
Addressing the Council, Ahluwalia said Sikh, Hindu, Christian and other minority heritage sites were not merely physical structures but represented faith, memory, identity and community continuity.
“Heritage protection is a human-rights issue, because the loss of a sacred site can also mean the loss of access, identity, memory and dignity for an entire community,” he said.
Ahluwalia said the foundation’s intervention sought constructive engagement, accountability and meaningful protection for minority communities and their religious heritage in Pakistan.
The Patiala Foundation, which works on heritage preservation among other areas, identifies Ahluwalia as its Founder and CEO and says it has held Special Consultative Status with UN-ECOSOC since 2018.
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