Tweeps rejoice over first Sikh newscaster

We have to show that minorities are safe and our life is normal here, Harmeet Singh says

We have to show that minorities are safe and our life is normal here, Harmeet says |

Tweeps in Pakistan were ecstatic after a newly launched news channel in the country announced they had hired a Sikh man as a newscaster. Harmeet Singh, a resident of Chakesar, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has joined Public News.

The news channel shared a video introducing him on their twitter page and wrote: “Pakistan’s 1st Sikh news anchor Harmeet Singh .... ”

In the video clip, Singh says: “I feel good to be the first news anchor representing the Sikh community. My thought was to portray a positive image of Pakistan. About the minorities in Pakistan, you hear a lot of rumours around the world. We have to show that minorities are safe and our life is normal here.”

After their announcement, Shiraz Hassan @ShirazHassan, a Pakistani journalist associated with BBC, tweeted a picture of Singh with the caption: “Harmeet Singh, #Pakistan’s first #Sikh newscaster is set to shine at upcoming private news channel Public TV.”

Lot of support

This lead to a lot of support for Singh on twitter.

Tweep @jaffari512 posted: “Isn’t it amazing?! Harmeet Singh is all set to shine on upcoming channel ‘Public News’. He’s going to be the first Pakistani Sikh newscaster. Jeo veerayy!”

@i88yy shared a selfie with Singh and tweeted: “Harmeet Singh, #Pakistan’s first #Sikh newscaster on a national channel. Wishing him all the best! #PublicNews”

Raminder Jit Singh, @ramindersays, a Sikh residing in Jammu and Kashmir, India, also joined in on the support.

He tweeted: “Nice to see Sikhs shine on Pakistani media channels.”

This is a first in the history of Pakistan’s electronic media, as stated in a report published by Daily Pakistan, a daily English and Urdu newspaper.

@Harpreetlaw tweeted: “Now waiting a for a Sikh to be selected for the Pakistan cricket team.”

Media career

Singh is a Pakistani-born Sikh and completed his masters in journalism from Federal Urdu University in Karachi. He started his media career as a reporter with ATV, another television network in Pakistan.

Many tweeps even hoped this would bring some positive change for the minority communities living in Pakistan.

@PakiWanderlust: “More power to the minorities. They have suffered way too long.”