Jalandhar, Nov 13: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra today urged the Pakistan government to constitute an International Sikh Committee for the management of the Sikh shrines and gurdwaras, including the Nankana Sahib and Dera Sahib in that country. Tohra told reporters here that the SGPC was not satisfied with the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee as it had no genuine Amritdhari Sikh and was even headed by a non Sikh.

He said shrines like Nankana Sahib were as sacred for Sikhs as Mecca was for Muslims and the Vatican for Christians and therefore the religious affairs and management of these shrines and gudrwaras should be as per the aspirations and norms of Sikhs and Sikhism. Therefore an International Sikh Committee should be formed with proper representation from the SGPC and Sikh bodies of some other countries, he said.

If this was not possible then the Pakistan government should constitute at least a committee of 11 or 21 genuine Sikhs which should be empowered to take religious and management decisions, including proper spending of donations received in the shrines and gurdwaras.

He said the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan should coordinate to ensure free movement of Sikh pilgrims to these shrines. Bureau Report