Ghost employment scam surfaces in Pakistan Gurdwara committee

New Delhi: An alleged ghost employment scam spiriting away around 38 crore Pakistani rupees has surfaced in Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). The case involves its present and former office-bearers as well as a few Sikh political leaders.

According to sources, many prominent Sikh leaders of Pakistan who have held and are also currently holding prominent posts in PSGPC and are also politically active have enrolled as many as 80 persons on the rolls of PSGPC.

 “Most of these ghost employees are the relatives or the near ones of Sikh leadership including one 80 years old person who has been appointed in a Gurdwara and is drawing a salary of around Rs 20000 for past over a decade,” alleged sources, adding that in past nearly two decades a total of 38 crores Pakistani rupees had been siphoned off from the PSGPC's account.

Even Pakistan media has prominently carried the report of Rs 38 crore scam in PSGPC in the name of fake employments.

The Pak media reports alleged that Sikh leaders including the former president of PSGPC Bishan Singh, present the incumbent of the seat Satwant Singh, Mohinderpal Singh and others had used their influence to enroll their relatives and dear ones on various posts like granthi in the Gurdwaras which were under the control of PSGPC.

When contacted, spokesperson of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) which is the overarching body of PSGPC, Aamir Hashmi said, “These are fake news and doesn’t have an iota of truth”.

He further alleged that there were certain elements who were hell-bent on tarnishing the image of PSGPC and the Sikh leadership.