Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
LAHORE: Over 200 Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) who came to Pakistan to commemorate the 475th birth anniversary of Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru in Sikhism, returned to India on Monday through the Wagha Border, declaring their visit pleasant and fulfilling.
The Sikhs said they did not face any security problems and felt free like Pakistani citizens. They said the hospitality they received was beyond their expectations. Leader of the Indian pilgrims, and a former member of parliament, Sardar Chetan Singh told reporters at the Wagha Railway Station that the Indian embassy had issued the pilgrims visit visas for only five days. He dispelled the impression that the pilgrims were cutting their visit short.
Rejecting rumours that Sikh properties in Pakistan were in a state of neglect, he said he had visited some of the areas in question, and found nothing to substantiate the claims. Chetan Singh praised the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for its efforts to rehabilitate gurdwaras that had been neglected since the 1947 Partition of the sub-continent. He lauded the government for giving the yatrees protocol and making them feel welcome and safe in Pakistan. Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members told the media that the ETPB was working for the maintenance of the Chuna Mandi Gurdwara, the birthplace of the fourth Sikh guru.
LAHORE: Over 200 Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) who came to Pakistan to commemorate the 475th birth anniversary of Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru in Sikhism, returned to India on Monday through the Wagha Border, declaring their visit pleasant and fulfilling.
The Sikhs said they did not face any security problems and felt free like Pakistani citizens. They said the hospitality they received was beyond their expectations. Leader of the Indian pilgrims, and a former member of parliament, Sardar Chetan Singh told reporters at the Wagha Railway Station that the Indian embassy had issued the pilgrims visit visas for only five days. He dispelled the impression that the pilgrims were cutting their visit short.
Rejecting rumours that Sikh properties in Pakistan were in a state of neglect, he said he had visited some of the areas in question, and found nothing to substantiate the claims. Chetan Singh praised the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for its efforts to rehabilitate gurdwaras that had been neglected since the 1947 Partition of the sub-continent. He lauded the government for giving the yatrees protocol and making them feel welcome and safe in Pakistan. Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members told the media that the ETPB was working for the maintenance of the Chuna Mandi Gurdwara, the birthplace of the fourth Sikh guru.
