Bhagat Singh should be honoured in Pak: Civil society group

Lahore, Mar 23: Legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh should be honoured in Pakistan as heroes are not limited to one country or religion and they transcend all borders in their fight against oppression, extremism and dictatorship, the head of a leading civil society group said today.

In a message issued to mark the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, World Punjab Congress Chairman Fakhar Zaman noted that the freedom fighter was hanged in Lahore and his organisation had been trying for the past 20 years to erect a monument at the spot where he went to the gallows. Bhagat Singh was hanged on March 23, 1931, in Lahore jail with his fellow freedom fighters Rajguru and Sukhdev.

The spot where they were hanged is currently known as Shadman Chowk and should be renamed Bhagat Singh Chowk, Zaman said. "This is the time when civil society can put up the monument to pay homage to the great hero of Punjab," he said.

Zaman said he expected peace forums and intellectuals in both Pakistan and India, who are working for friendly relations between the two sides, to exert pressure on the Indian government to take up the issue. He further said restrictive visa restrictions continued to be in place and new formalities make it impossible for an ordinary person to get a visa.

"When businessman can get multiple entry visas, then why not writers and intellectuals who are more important than the businessmen?" he said. Zaman said he would lead a delegation of 70 Pakistani scholars, writers and educationalists to India in May.

After that, an International Conference on Peace will be held in Lahore under the auspices of the World Punjab Council and International Sufi Council. Fifty delegates from abroad and 150 delegates from Pakistan are expected to participate in the meet.

PTI