Acme Of Economic Desperation? Why Pakistan Rolled Out Red Carpet For World Bank Chief | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 10:37 IST

The optics of the grand reception---featuring horses, schoolchildren, banners & ceremonial pageantry---stand in stark contrast to the everyday realities faced by Sikhs in Pakistan

Ajay Banga’s visit to Pakistan was deeply personal. His Sikh family was forced to flee Khushab during the violence of Partition in 1947. (News18)

The lavish welcome extended to World Bank President Ajay Banga, during his recent trip to Pakistan, has triggered sharp questions about Islamabad’s selective approach towards its minority communities, particularly Sikhs.

CNN-News18 has learned that the optics of the grand reception—featuring horses, schoolchildren, banners, and ceremonial pageantry—stand in stark contrast to the everyday realities faced by Sikhs in Pakistan.

Sources close to Pakistan’s Sikh Gurdwara Committees told CNN-News18 that most Sikh gurdwaras in the country, including historic and sacred sites, are controlled by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). The ETPB is a state-run body with negligible Sikh representation and is widely perceived to operate under the influence of the Pakistan Army. Sikh representatives allege persistent interference by army-linked authorities in gurdwara land management, access, and security arrangements.

According to these sources, sacred Sikh spaces are often treated less as religious institutions and more as strategic assets—leveraged for control, surveillance, and the collection of pilgrimage revenue. Against this backdrop, the elaborate welcome for Banga is being viewed by many within the Sikh community as transactional rather than genuine.

Banga’s visit to Pakistan was deeply personal. His Sikh family was forced to flee Khushab during the violence of Partition in 1947, an episode of history that Pakistan’s establishment has never formally acknowledged in terms of atrocities committed against Sikhs. Yet today, critics argue, Pakistan appears willing to showcase a successful Sikh face when it aligns with its economic and diplomatic needs.

Multiple analysts point out that Pakistan’s enthusiasm is closely tied to its economic distress and its reliance on international financial institutions. The welcome for Banga, they argue, is less about reconciliation with the Sikh community and more about signalling goodwill to the World Bank at a time when Pakistan is grappling with economic collapse.

The contrast becomes sharper when viewed alongside the treatment of Gopal Singh Chawla, a controversial Sikh figure, previously highlighted by CNN-News18. Chawla, who was earlier allegedly used by Pakistani intelligence agencies to amplify Khalistan-related propaganda against India, has been under surveillance and virtual house arrest for nearly three years. His movement remains heavily restricted, officially in the name of security.

Sources say Chawla’s prolonged confinement serves as a calculated message—both to Sikh communities within Pakistan and to international observers—that dissent or utility is tolerated only as long as it serves state interests. Once that purpose is fulfilled, restrictions swiftly follow.

Together, these developments underscore what observers describe as Pakistan’s selective and strategic engagement with its minorities. Banga’s homecoming may be personal and emotional, but for Pakistan’s establishment, critics argue, it represents a carefully curated moment driven by economic desperation rather than genuine inclusion or historical accountability.

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