Journalist Farrukh Shahbaz Warraich raised awareness about death threats made against Harmeet Singh’s family, resulting in attention from the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of Pakistan. Harmeet Singh expressed his concern about the lack of security and justice for minorities in Pakistan. After the interview, the government promised action against the culprits and their facilitators.
Young Journalist Farrukh Shahbaz Warraich raised the voice of Pakistan’s first Sikh anchor Harmeet Singh for justice against inequality through digital media platforms all over the world.
In an exclusive interview from Harmeet Singh on UrduPoint (The largest media house in Pakistan), the journalist highlighted the matter regarding threats from the killers of the Sikh anchor’s younger brother Ravinder Singh. This interview grabbed the attention of higher authorities including the prime minister and the chief justice of Pakistan to take cognisance of the incident.
During the exclusive talk, Farrukh Shahbaz provided a digital platform for Harmeet Singh to narrate his real story about death threats. The Sikh anchor said, “I am very surprised that a publically figure like me, who is a member of the press club and being as first minority journalist also has easy access to the media, is helpless to handle this situation then how the common man can face such issue in this country if some painful incident happened with them. During the case, my family was firstly pressured and verbally threatened to reconcile with the accused of my brother’s killers but now I received a threatening call from the main accused from the telephone number of Mardan prison that matter was really surprising to me.”
“I received a call from the Peshawar jail. The man on the other side introduced himself as Mohammad Ibrahim, who had shot my brother. He threatened me with dire consequences if I did not compromise in the case. I was aghast that he used the jail’s phone to threaten me fearlessly. Tell me which law allows an accused of murder to be allowed to call from jail, Harmeet said while blaming the involvement of police and security agencies on this gang. He further leveled accusations of involvement of the administration with the murderer.
“The past year had been unbearably hard for me and my family. Last January, my brother Parvinder Singh, was cold-bloodedly murdered by a hitman hired by his fiance, Prem Kumari when he was taking care of last-minute wedding errands. Prem Kumari and her accomplices had recently procured bail from the high court and hired assassins who are currently in the Mardan prison.” He expressed fear that he might not be able to pursue his brother’s case as the authorities appeared to be going soft on the accused from the majority community.
“I do not want to defame my country, Pakistan because I have always participated on international platforms to ensure that the minority is safe in Pakistan but this incident with me today has shaken me. Indian media has covered the incident of my threat and many people have contacted me from there to offer asylum but I love my country. I don’t want to leave my homeland but only demand from the Prime Minister and concerned authorities to give me justice and security so that no condemnatory statements can be made later.”
“I have to go to Mardan, the area of the accused, to pursue my brother’s case. After these threats, everything is going on internationally but no representatives from the government have contacted me to provide security. If something happens to me tomorrow, the country will be defamed internationally because I am the only minority journalist. I am sad that I have always tried to improve the image of Pakistan and still do,” he lamented.
Harmeet Singh appealed to the higher authorities that a representative of the government should have contacted me in support to provide justice. They should make this case exemplary to give hard-hitting punishment to the culprits, on the contrary, the security is supporting and encouraging the accused.
In the end, highlighting this matter of concern, journalist Farrukh Shehbaz said that this matter belongs to Harmeet Singh and that the authorities and security agencies should look into this matter so that God willing, no such incident occurs tomorrow. Calls and threats from jail should be thoroughly investigated.
Later, after the interview of Harmeet Singh, Pakistan’s first Sikh journalist, the ruling government was quick to come to his rescue. First, the prime minister took strict notice of the dreadful incident. This was followed by a personal assurance by the Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police that immediate action would be pursued against culprits as well as their facilitators in Mardan Jail. It was a delightful sight to see Singh in his signature cheery demeanor as he conveyed thanks to both media and the state for listening to his pleas. In his words, “The prime minister’s words were to me like an assurance from a family elder; rendering much support!”