Indian Sikh jathas to leave for Pakistan to celebrate Vaisakhi

Representational photo

Various Sikh religious organizations, prominently among them Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), will be sending Sikh jathas (groups) to Pakistan to celebrate Vaisakhi, the main function of which is being held at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, Pakistan. 

Spokesperson of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Amir Hashmi informed on Thursday that the officials of ETPB as well as the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) would receive the Indian Sikh yatrees (pilgrms) at Wagah (Pakistan) border on April 12. 

Over 2500 Indian Sikh devotees are expected to be part of various jathas going to Pakistan to celebrate the Khalsa Sajna Diwas. PSGPC president Ameer Singh said that PSGPC had urged the Pakistan Railways to arrange a special train up to Wagah railway station to pick up the Indian devotees and take them to Lahore, Nankana Sahib, and Hasan Abdal. 

In the recent past, the PSGPC president had also written a letter to SGPC urging its president Harjinder Singh Dhami to impress upon Indian Railways to begin a special train to take the devotees from Attari (India) to Wagah by train. 

Notably, the Pakistan government had suspended Samjhauta Express plying between India and Pakistan since February 28, 2019, following heightened tension between the two countries. 

About the programme of Indian Sikh pilgrims, Hashmi informed that they would receive Indian pilgrims at Wagah on April 12, and on the same day the Indian devotees would reach Panja Sahib. After participating in the main congregation at Sri Panja Sahib on April 14, the jatha would depart for Nankana Sahib where they would pay obeisance on April 15.  

The Indian jatha would reach Gurdwara Sacha Sauda  on April 16. Following this, the Sikh jatha would visit Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore on April 17 and 18, and Gurdwara  Darbar Sahib,  Kartarpur Sahib on April 19, and Gurdwara Rorhi Sahib at Eminabad on April 20. The Sikh jatha would return to India after paying obeisance at Sikh shrines on April 21, he added. 

Meanwhile expressing his views on the auspicious occasion, Charge d’Affaires Aftab Hasan Khan  informed that On the eve of Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 2200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual festival scheduled to be held in Pakistan from 12-21 April 2022. 

The issuance of visas is covered under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974. Every year, a large number of Sikh Yatrees from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals/occasions. The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries.