Islamabad commissions first Sikh army officer

Lahore: Harcharan Singh, a Pakistani national hailing from Nankana Sahib in Punjab, has become the first Sikh in the country's 58-year history to have been commissioned in the Pakistan Army as an officer.

Singh, 19, happens to be the first Pakistan-born Sikh since 1947 to join the 116th Long Course as a cadet and has already reported for training at the Pakistan Military Academy.

The minorities in Pakistan are allowed to sit for all examinations, including the one conducted by Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB), but neither a Hindu nor a Sikh could make it to the Pakistan Army since the country's inception.

Harcharan Singh says while appearing in the ISSB's preliminary tests this year, he was sceptical, thinking that such examinations were not meant for them (Sikhs) as he could not get through the initial phase the previous year.

He points out that Christians and Hindus have already been in the civil and judicial services of Pakistan.

However, no Sikh ever applied for commission in the Pakistan Army over the past 58 years.

"Though I was disheartened, my mother encouraged me and made me appear for the ISSB exams this year, which I was lucky enough to have cleared," says Singh.

Born to a lower-middle class family of Nankana Sahib, the young Singh is the son of late Aya Singh, a local textile trader, who had migrated to the Northern Areas at the time of partition and in the 1970s shifted to Nankana Sahib.

He died 11 years ago, leaving behind his widow and five children, Singh being the youngest but one among his three daughters and two sons.

Singh was the eldest male member as his three older sisters are married. His younger brother, Surrinder Singh, a matric student, also wants to join the armed forces.

An ambitious Singh was determined to do something different from other Sikhs living in Pakistan. He has been a good student since his childhood, for which he gives all credit to his mother Ameer Kaur, who had been a source of encouragement and inspiration for him all his life.

"I had a dream which has finally come true following my selection as a cadet officer for the Pakistan Army. My dream has become true because of my mother's efforts who actually helped me reach the height in my academic career.

"I passed my matriculation examination from Government Guru Nanak School, Nankana Sahib, with distinction and got 677 marks. I did intermediate from FC College in Pre-Engineering with 726 marks. I wanted to be in the armed forces since it is the most challenging job in the country," he says.

"One really feels proud while wearing a uniform and the same is the case with me. I am selected purely on merit and I feel on top of the world. By joining the Pakistan Army, I want to serve Pakistan like other communities living in the country," Singh says.

To a question, he said when his fellow Sikhs in Nankana Sahib learnt about his selection in the Army they really felt proud of him. "My selection has also changed their perception. Now they believe young Sikhs have a fair chance to join Pakistan's most prestigious institutions."