Wagah (Amritsar), Nov 05: Two separate jathas of Sikh pilgrims sponsored by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC) today crossed over to Pakistan from the joint check post (JCP) here for a pilgrimage to Nankana Sahab for birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. The SGPC dominated by Prakash Singh Badal faction of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sent a jatha of 296 pilgrims while the DGMC, which broke away recently from the sad, has sponsored a jatha of 82 pilgrims for the 10-day trip.
Senior vice president of the SGPC Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhok pulled out from the jatha at the last moment due to forthcoming elections of office bearers of SGPC.
In his absence, the jatha is being led by Balkar Singh, former head of department of Guru Granth Sahab studies in Punjabi University at Patiala.
The DGMC jatha was led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, former president of the DGMC.
The pilgrims were received on the Pakistan side by Sham Singh, co-chairman of Pakistan Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (PGPC) and Izhar-ul-Hassan, additional secretary of Pak Waqf Properties Trust Board, which looks after Sikh shrines in the neighbouring country. Bureau Report