(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) Salman Yousafzai
PESHAWAR: Sardar Gardeep Singh, the member from Sikh community who has been nominated for the Senate minorities seat by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), says he is proud that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party trusted him for serving his community through the Upper House of the Parliament.
'It is a proud moment for the whole community. I am extremely happy that trust has been reposed in me after late Suran Singh. I am happy that I have been embraced by the party as their representative and I would do everything to uphold that trust,' he said while talking to TNN.
Hailing from Swat, 42-year-old Gardeep Singh said the Sikh community is very happy as it is first time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the creation of Pakistan that a member from the community has got Senate ticket. He said he would enter the Senate while donning a turban.
Earlier, the Awami National Party (ANP) had also elected a member from Sikh community, Amarjeet Singh Malhotra, as senator, but he used to go to Senate without waring a turban.
Gardeep Singh said his family shifted to Shangla from India at the time of Partition of Sub-Continent and then shifted to Mingora. He was born in Mingora city of Swat in 1978 and studied till eighth grade there. He was elected minority councilor from Chakesar area of Shangla in 2005. His father was a well-known trader in Shangla who also did transport business.
Gardeep Singh said his sister was married to Sardar Suran Singh, who was special assistant to KP chief minister on minority affairs in the previous government of PTI. He said after murder of Sardar Suran Singh in Buner in 2016, he is looking after his sister and her children. He said he joined PTI after Suran Singh's death and since then he is working as vice president of the party's minority wing. He said he is running business of his father and also has special interest in buying and selling vehicles.
The Sikh community has expressed jubilation over nomination of Gardeep Singh for Senate.
National Peace Council KP Chairman Dr Sahib Singh told TNN that Gardeep Singh will raise voice for Sikh community in the Upper House of the Parliament. He said the issues and problems of Sikh community will now be conveyed to concerned authorities in a befitting manner.
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