Pakistan is still home to a 20,000 strong Sikh community scattered througout all the provinces and territories of the country. They play an integral part (though little reported) in the economic and political life of the country. But they play a vital cultural part in maintaining historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan. And it is encouraging to see 10's of thousands of Sikhs from India and other countries freely coming to Pakistan and visiting their holy shrines.
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Sikh congregation lined up
From our correspondent
LAHORE - The biggest-ever Sikh congregation in Pakistan will be held at Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib from November 6 to 13.
Around 13,000 to 15,000 Sikhs are expected to visit their holy shrines in different parts of Pakistan this year, according to Lt-General (retd) Javed Nasir, the chairman of the Evacuee Property Trust Board.
He said at a news conference that the number of Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan each year had never exceeded 5,000, about 3,000 form India and 500 to 1,000 from other parts of the world. He said despite the fact that the government of India claiming to be acting on 'behalf of the Sikh community' had announced a boycott of Sikh shrines in Pakistan, over 400 pilgrims from India visited their shrines last year. This time the number would cross all previous records. He said that the Pakistan High Commission in India alone had issued over 3,000 visas to Sikhs, about 2,000 of them from East Punjab.
General Nasir said about 4,000 Sikhs were expected from the United States, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran, the UAE, Afghanistan and about 5,000 Sikhs would come from Federally Administered Tribal Areas. From India, the Sikh pilgrims will arrive in Lahore by train on November 6. From November 6 to 9 the pilgrims will stay at Panja Sahib and from November 10 to 12 at Nankana Sahib. On November 12 and 13 the pilgrims will stay at Dera Sahib in Lahore.
The Lahorites, he said, would host a grand reception in honour of the pilgrims at Shalimar Garden. The pilgrims from India would leave for home on November 14 by train.
The President of Pakistan will visit Nankana Sahib on November 11 to extend an official welcome to the pilgrims. He would attend the Saropa celebrations.
According to General Nasir, since partition over 1,600,000 Sikhs have been killed in India. He said 12,000 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone after the assassination of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. He said 60,000 Sikhs had been jailed in India on different charges since 1986. He also said that about 1,200,000 Muslims had so far been killed in the biggest democracy in the world on discriminatory grounds. He said that according to the Indian Press, some 70,000 Kashmiris had been killed in Kashmir. He said the minorities in the biggest democracy were being subjected to worst kind of victimisation.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/subcont.htm
Sikh congregation lined up
From our correspondent
LAHORE - The biggest-ever Sikh congregation in Pakistan will be held at Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib from November 6 to 13.
Around 13,000 to 15,000 Sikhs are expected to visit their holy shrines in different parts of Pakistan this year, according to Lt-General (retd) Javed Nasir, the chairman of the Evacuee Property Trust Board.
He said at a news conference that the number of Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan each year had never exceeded 5,000, about 3,000 form India and 500 to 1,000 from other parts of the world. He said despite the fact that the government of India claiming to be acting on 'behalf of the Sikh community' had announced a boycott of Sikh shrines in Pakistan, over 400 pilgrims from India visited their shrines last year. This time the number would cross all previous records. He said that the Pakistan High Commission in India alone had issued over 3,000 visas to Sikhs, about 2,000 of them from East Punjab.
General Nasir said about 4,000 Sikhs were expected from the United States, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran, the UAE, Afghanistan and about 5,000 Sikhs would come from Federally Administered Tribal Areas. From India, the Sikh pilgrims will arrive in Lahore by train on November 6. From November 6 to 9 the pilgrims will stay at Panja Sahib and from November 10 to 12 at Nankana Sahib. On November 12 and 13 the pilgrims will stay at Dera Sahib in Lahore.
The Lahorites, he said, would host a grand reception in honour of the pilgrims at Shalimar Garden. The pilgrims from India would leave for home on November 14 by train.
The President of Pakistan will visit Nankana Sahib on November 11 to extend an official welcome to the pilgrims. He would attend the Saropa celebrations.
According to General Nasir, since partition over 1,600,000 Sikhs have been killed in India. He said 12,000 Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone after the assassination of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. He said 60,000 Sikhs had been jailed in India on different charges since 1986. He also said that about 1,200,000 Muslims had so far been killed in the biggest democracy in the world on discriminatory grounds. He said that according to the Indian Press, some 70,000 Kashmiris had been killed in Kashmir. He said the minorities in the biggest democracy were being subjected to worst kind of victimisation.
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