Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan on Khalsa Sajna Diwas
Amritsar, April 7 – To attend the congregation on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Vaisakhi), 1942 Sikh pilgrims have been granted visas to visit Gurdwaras in Pakistan, as part of the jatha (religious group) being sent by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). This jatha will depart from the SGPC office on April 10.
Providing further details, SGPC Secretary Partap Singh stated that the passports of 1942 devotees were sent to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, which has now issued the required visas. He said that, as like previous years, a Sikh jatha will visit Pakistan on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Vaisakhi). The Jatha will depart on April 10 from the SGPC office and after attending the main congregation at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan, it will visit other prominent Gurdwaras. The jatha will return to India on April 19.
Partap Singh further mentioned that pilgrims whose visas have been approved can collect their passports from the SGPC office during office hours on April 9.
Meanwhile, SGPC OSD Satbir Singh Dhami expressed gratitude on behalf of the SGPC to the officials of the Pakistan High Commission for granting visas to all submitted names. He highlighted that in the past, many devotees were denied visas, which hurt their religious sentiments.
He extended thanks not only to the officials of the Pakistan High Commission but also to the governments of both India and Pakistan for their cooperation in granting visas to all the devotees.
However, in the recent past, a delegation led by SGPC Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan had met officials at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, requesting to grant visas for all applicants from the SGPC sent list.
