Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have cut
short the visit of Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Panja Sahib in
Hasanabdal city of Punjab province due to the security
situation, days after the killing of two abducted Sikhs by the
Taliban in the restive northwestern tribal belt.
The visit of the Sikh `yatris` or pilgrims was shortened
from three days to one day due to the security situation,
media reports said.
The Sikhs had travelled to Hasanabdal for religious
rituals.
They were earlier scheduled to stay in Hasanabdal for
three days and participate in the `Saka Nankana Sahib
Anniversary`, which is being observed for the second time
after the partition of the subcontinent.
A senior security official told the media that
authorities had shortened the visit of the Sikhs to only one
day due to the recent killing of the two abducted Sikhs in
Khyber tribal region.
However, an official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board,
which is responsible for maintaining shrines of minority
communities and making arrangements for pilgrims, said the
reasons behind the decision for shortening the visit were not
known.
But, he pointed out that security agencies had expressed
apprehension about threats to the Sikh pilgrims.
PTI
