Record no of Sikhs arrive in Lahore

LAHORE: Three-day activities to mark the 400th martyrdom day of fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Dev Jee started at Gurdawara Dera Sahib on Tuesday with the reading of Gurbani from the Guru Granth Sahib as the main procession of the Sikh devotees comprising over 3,000 pilgrims from India arrived at the Wagah railway station by a special train.

A number of prominent Sikh leaders, including Prakash Singh Badal, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjeet Singh Atwar, SGPC president Sardar Avtar Singh Makar, former SGPC president Bibi Jageer Kaur, Bibi Kiran Jot Kaur, besides 10 members of Parliament and Rajya Sabha have already crossed the Wagah border to reach Pakistan and participate in the martyrdom day activities. This is the first time that such a large number of Sikh political and religious leaders came to Pakistan in such a large number to attend any function since 1947.

Lt Gen Zulfiqar Ali Khan, chairman of the Evacuee Property Trust Board, said the Pakistani government had allowed 5,000 visas to the Sikh community this year. He added that the government would extend all possible cooperation to the visiting Sikhs during their 10-day pilgrimage. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would attend a seminar ‘Sikh-Muslim Brotherhood’ in Lahore on June 15.