- विज्ञापन -
Amritsar: A delegation of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) met Pakistan High Commissioner Saad Ahmed Waraich in Delhi today. In this meeting, a demand was made to issue visas to Sikh devotees visiting historical gurudwaras in Pakistan.
The delegation of Shiromani Committee included Chief Secretary and Member Sardar Kulwant Singh Mann, Member Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta, Secretary Sardar Pratap Singh and Secretary Sardar Jaswinder Singh Jassi. Delegation members Sardar Kulwant Singh Mann and Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta said that for some time now, a large number of names are deleted from the list of Sikh devotees sent by the Shiromani Committee by Pakistan. In this regard, they met the Pakistan High Commissioner and appealed to simplify the visa process and respect the sentiments of the devotees.
The delegation informed that every year the Shiromani Committee sends Jathas to visit the historical Gurdwaras situated in Pakistan on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi), Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Death Anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. For this, a quota of 1800, 600, 300 and 1800 visas has been allotted to the state of Punjab respectively.
Demand to send Jatha on Martyrdom Day
The delegation said that this year Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji is being organized by the Shiromani Committee and Sikh Sangat on 30th May 2025 (Jyeshtha Sudi 4) as per the Nanakshahi calendar. They demanded that visas be issued to Indian Sikh devotees for this day.
The delegation told the High Commissioner that the Jatha could not be sent as per the Nanakshahi calendar accepted by the Shiromani Committee since 2012, because the Pakistan High Commission refuses to issue visas due to the difference in dates. This hurts the religious sentiments of Indian Sikh devotees.
Appeal to respect the sentiments of the devotees
The delegation urged the Pakistan High Commissioner to issue visas to maximum number of devotees as per the list sent by the Shiromani Committee, keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the Sikh devotees and their reverence for the historical Gurudwaras.
The delegation also said that visiting these historical Gurudwaras is very important for the Sikh community and making the visa process simple and transparent will help in strengthening the cultural and religious ties between the two countries.
