LAHORE: More than 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India have arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah Border to partake in the 554th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh religion.
Rana Shahid Saleem, Additional Secretary (Shrines) of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), and Sardar Ameer Singh, the head of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), along with committee members, welcomed the pilgrims.
Khushmindar Singh, the leader of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Amritsar party, said that their love for the country compelled them to visit repeatedly. Singh praised the improved facilities and arrangements for pilgrims, attributing their contentment to the Kartarpur Corridor’s opening. He expressed gratitude to the Pakistan government and, specifically, the ETPB for ensuring the protection of Gurdwaras in the country.
Sikh Pilgrims Warmly Welcomed in Pakistan
During the welcome address, Additional Secretary Shrines Rana Shahid Saleem highlighted the ETPB’s efforts in making foolproof security arrangements, providing accommodation, and ensuring travel facilities for Sikh pilgrims. Special marquees and buses have been arranged for their convenience, with ETPB officers and employees committed to serving the guests day and night. Saleem stressed the board’s dedication to facilitating pilgrims, and ensuring foolproof security for visitors from around the world, including India.
PSGPC Pradhan Sardar Ameer Singh expressed gratitude for his parents’ decision to live in Pakistan during the partition, considering the land as sacred to Sikhism. He called for the resumption of trains, which is important for facilitating pilgrims, and acknowledged the ETPB’s completion of all necessary arrangements in consultation with the prabandhak committee.
During their 10-day stay from November 25 to December 4, the pilgrims will visit various Gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Punja Sahib Hassanabdal, Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib, Gurudwara Rohri Sahib Aimenabad, Gurudwara Sacha Sauda, Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore, and Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Narowal.
