Punjabi Sikh Sangat
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| Headquarters | 25 Nisbaat Road, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Chairman | Gopal Singh Chawla |
| Website | punjabisikhsangat.org |
Punjabi Sikh Sangat (PSS) was a Pakistani Sikh organization that was formed to manage Sikh shrines in Punjab, Pakistan.[1] The organization had three offices, in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, and Panja Sahib.[2] It was headed by Gopal Singh Chawla as chairman or president.[1][3] Its leader was an advocate of the Khalistan movement, was pro-Pakistan, and was an outspoken critic of India.[4][5][6][7]
In June 2014, the organization held a protest, attended by Sikhs from Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Peshawar, and Sindh, regarding the 1984 Operation Blue Star attack on the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.[8] In October 2018, its leader admitted to having knowledge of the killings of RSS leaders in Punjab, India.[9] In 2019, Chawla was removed as secretary from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee due to Indian pressure,[10][11][12] but he remained on the board panel.[13] In 2020, Chawla was honoured by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and its parent body Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).[12] In 2021, Chawla blamed India's Research and Analysis Wing for a desecration occurring at the Sidhi Vinayak temple in Bhong city in Rahim Yar Khan district. He also blamed RAW for anti-Sikh killings and attacks in KPK and Nankana Sahib.[14] Chawla was later removed due to allegations of corruption by illegally occupying land in Nankana Sahib.[1] However, Chawla alleges that revenue official Asif Chadar colluded with officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board to sell land belonging to Nankana Sahib illegally.[15] Chawla uploaded a video criticizing authorities but later apologized for his statements.[16][17] Chawla has been under house-arrest for three years as of December 2025 which the Pakistani authorities claim is for his safety due to threats from India.[18] India claims Chawla was a Khalistani ISI asset who had ties with Hafiz Sayeed,[19][14][20][21] Chawla had said that Sayeed was his "ideal person".[9] As per Yudhvir Rana, Chawla was sidelined due to the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, where India requested that controversial elements be removed as a condition for the project to open.[14]
