A Pakistani Sikh, A Globalist Sikh: Sardar Suran Singh, Avatar Singh Sekhon

In response to the excellent brief comment posted by Ms. Imaan Hazir Mazari yesterday on the PakNationalists Mailing List, titled Excuse Me, Is CIA Calling Us Terrorists?, I received this email from a prominent leader of the global Sikh community, Mr. Awatar Singh Sekhon. Those who closely follow the issues of Pakistan and the region would find this letter very interesting:

Piare Bhai Sahib ji

Piare Barkhurdar Ahmed Quraishi ji,

Aslaam O Alaikum!

Let them do it. Please keep on working for the progress, development and dissemination of information to the great citizens of the Islamic Republic of Pakistam. This is your duty to look after the Awam of Pakistan and their betterment.


You, the Pakistan, has to find its place in the World Arena of Politics. To do this, you need sincere and committed citizens of Pakistan.

I wish you the very best. May the Khudawand Bakhshinda shower His blessing on you all.

Warmest regards.

Your brother,

Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki)
Editor in Chief
International Journal of Sikh Affairs ISSN 1481-5435

In response to my dear elder brother Sekhon Saheb, I would like to share with him this TV interview in Urdu with a Pakistani Sikh community leader who joined thousands of Pakistanis in the anti-CIA and anti-Drones sit-in in Peshawar last week that succeeded in blocking NATO supply route for three days.  In this video, this Pakistani Sikh quotes a saying of Prophet Mohammad PBUH to reaffirm commitment to defend the homeland against future attacks and violations by CIA and US military based in Afghanistan.

Why Pak Media Ignored Anti-CIA Sit-In?

While there are many hardworking journalists in the Pakistani media, this media is yet to develop a sense of perception, which means looking into the future beyond the immediate headlines of the day.

When PPP and PMLN were running for elections in March 2008, Pakistani media refused to ask these two parties any tough questions about their long record of failed politics. The media gave these two parties an easy time. Journalists were focused on only one thing: the exit of Musharraf. While that was a worthy story, the media failed in its duty to check the record of those whom it was promoting as alternatives.

The same thing happens in the case of PTI's sit-in in Peshawar. For the first time since 2002, ordinary Pakistanis come out of their homes and block NATO supply line. This was a major story. But our media generally ignored it. Why? Because PTI boycotted the 2008 elections and the party is not in the parliament and wields no power. Many of our media men and women depend on maintaining good relations with some politicians either because of bias or for indirect benefit or gain. So everyone in the media is focused on what the politicians in parliament are saying. No one is interested in PTI or the drones because, well, PTI can't offer journalists favors because it is not in power.

That's why most of the Pakistani media ignored the sit-in in Peshawar on the first day, on 23 April.

But everyone in our media sat up and noticed when elected politician and those parties that are considered to be well established, participated in the second day of the sit-in. The parties did this because of the tremendous response that PTI generated among ordinary Pakisanis, and everyone wanted a piece of the pie.

This is realistic and unfortunate aspect of our media. But I hope our media will drw some lessons from its coverage of the sit-in.