3,000 Indian Sikh yatrees arrive to attend Nanak’s birth celebrations

LAHORE:Nearly 3,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims have arrived in the City via Wagha Border to participate in the 555th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak.

Ministers Ramesh Singh Arora and Bilal Akbar Khan, along with the Secretary of the ETPB Fareed Iqbal, AS Shrines, Saifullah Khokhar, and members of the PSGPC warmly welcomed the pilgrims. Speaking to the media, Minister for Minorities Affairs and President of the PSGPC Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora expressed that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz extends a warm welcome to the Sikh pilgrims. On the CM’s instructions, final arrangements for security and other facilities have been made. He added that there is a deep bond of love and respect between all Pakistanis and their Sikh brothers. Minister for Transport Bilal Akbar Khan shared that transportation arrangements for the pilgrims have been meticulously planned. Special buses will transport the pilgrims from Wagha to Nankana Sahib. Speaking with the media, Sardar Harjit Singh Pappa, leader of the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, thanked the government, Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for their warm welcome. Gurnam Singh Jassal, leader of the Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, expressed gratitude, highlighting the respect and love received by the Sikh community in Pakistan.

At Wagha Border, the pilgrims were served Langar (community meal), and then they were transported to Nankana Sahib in special buses. The main event of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary will take place on Friday (today) at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib.

After the main celebration, the pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Sacha Soda, Farooqabad, on November 16, before proceeding to Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hassan Abdal, where they will stay for one day. On November 18, the pilgrims will travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Narowal, where they will perform their religious rituals.

On November 20, they will visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib, Aimanabad, via Gujranwala, and then proceed to Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore. The Indian Sikh pilgrims will complete their 10-day visit and return to India on November 23.

Meanwhile, Lahore Police have made elaborate arrangements for comprehensive security for Sikh yatrees visiting Pakistan. In a statement issued, CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana reiterated the police's commitment to safeguarding Sikh yatrees who have traveled from around the world to perform religious observances.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive cleanliness operation is underway in Nankana Sahib in line with the vision of Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz under the initiative of Suthra Punjab. The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) is ensuring top-tier sanitation arrangements on the occasion of 555th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.