450 Indian Sikh pilgrims reach Pakistan |
A group of 450 Sikh pilgrims on June 21st arrived in Pakistan`s Lahore from India to observe the 183rd death anniversary of the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Evacuee Trust Property Board, which looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan, and Pakistan Gurdwara Sikh Prabandhak Committee officials received them at the Wagah Border. The main event will be held at Dera Sahib on June 29. He said that a `langer` (lunch) was served to all visiting Sikh pilgrims at Wagah before their departure for Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore. During their stay, the pilgrims would also visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara. Hashmi said that the Pakistani government had issued visas to 500 Indian Sikhs. However, 450 turned up. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. The issuance of visas to Indian Sikhs is covered under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.
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