The Tribune – Sikh pilgrims ‘harassed’ in Pakistan; Allege intelligence agencies seize their SIM, memory cards

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 19. After celebrating Baisakhi at historic gurdwaras in Pakistan, scores of Sikh devotees returned today via the Attari-Wagah rail route. They were upset with Pakistan intelligence agencies, which they alleged, harassed them and even seized their SIM cards and memory cards.

Talking to mediapersons, Satpal Singh Laddi of Ferozepur said the Pakistan agencies pestered them during the visit and particularly targeted those in the age group of 30 to 35. He alleged the agencies interrogated them when they visited Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib and Lahore.

Laddi alleged the staff of these agencies even reached the Wagah railway station in Pakistan today and took away SIM cards and memory cards from their mobile phones.

Kanwaljeet Kaur of New Delhi said though they did not face any problem while paying obeisance at the holy shrines, they were hassled at the railway station where the Pakistan agencies kept the special train stranded for around four hours.

Balwinder Singh Jhabal of Khalra Mission Committee said they celebrated Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib during which Pakistan Minorities Minister Jamil Shahzad participated as the chief guest. He said the Sikhs demanded that Gurdwara Beri Sahib in Sialkot should be thrown open to the pilgrims and Kartarpur Sahib Corridor be facilitated. Besides, a sarai should be constructed to provide accommodation to the pilgrims in Lahore, he said.

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The Tribune – Release Sarabjit: Sukhbir to Pakistan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 8. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today made an impassioned appeal to Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to persuade his federal government to take positive steps for early release of Sarabjit Singh and other Indian prisoners lodged in jails in the neighbouring nation.

In a communiqué handed over to Sharif in Lahore, Badal said the people of Punjab had high hopes on his visit to Pakistan and they were eagerly awaiting a positive outcome, especially on the Indian prisoners’ issue.

Badal said various NGOs in Pakistan and India were collectively working to pursue these cases and much progress had been made in the case of Sarbjit Singh but his release was withheld after some technical problems. He said history had given an opportunity to the two nations to rewrite relations between two Punjabs’.

In an official statement, Sukhbir claimed that his efforts would prove catalytic in cementing bilateral ties.

Deputy CM seeks corridor to Kartarpur Sahib

Sukhbir has sought an early decision on the opening of a corridor from the Indian border side to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

He also sought a positive decision on handing over of the management and control of gurdwaras located in Pakistan to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

He made these requests when he called on Sharif. He requested that the sentiments of the Sikh community were attached to gurdwaras located in Pakistan and he should request his federal government to give free access to Sikhs to pay obeisance in them.

He said the SGPC and the Punjab Government had been requesting the Union government and Pakistan to give a pilgrim corridor up to the gurdwara so that Indian pilgrims could have uninterrupted access to it. He also sought Sharif’s intervention for coming up with a plan for Sikh religious tourism circuit allowing Sikh pilgrims a visit to all gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Sukhbir paid obeisance at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, the martyrdom place of fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev.

Harsimrat too joins delegation in Pakistan

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and singer Hans Raj Hans joined the delegation from Punjab led by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.

Biryani, paneer saag at Lahore Food Street

A spontaneous visit by Sukhbir Badal and his Cabinet colleagues to the famous Lahore Food Street stumped everybody. A competition was seen among food hawkers to persuade Sukhbir to eact food in their shops. He enjoyed ‘gol-gappas’ and later had dinner. His meal comprised ‘biryani’, ‘paneer saag’, ‘haryali vegetable’, steamed ‘poori’ and ‘chana’.

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The Tribune – Sukhbir in Pakistan to bring two Punjabs closer

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 5. Amid high hopes of strengthening economic ties between the two Punjabs, a 45-member delegation led by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal crossed over to Pakistan today via the Attari-Wagah land route.

The delegation comprised five Cabinet Ministers, eminent industrialists, traders and agriculture experts. Among the key issues figuring on the agenda are lack of trade infrastructure on the Pakistan side, the opening of Hussainiwala border, the issue of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and cultural and sporting ties.

At present, India can only export 137 items to Pak via the Attari-Wagah land route as the neighbouring country is yet to switch over to negative list for this key trading point.

Once implemented, it will open floodgates of opportunities for the trading community in Punjab. The exports from the Attari border, which stood at Rs 1,375 crore in 2011-12, will grow many fold as it will allow export of around 6,000 items from the Attari-Wagah land route.

The delegation is also expected to deliberate on the issue of lack of trade infrastructure on the Pakistan side. Unlike India, which has raised a massive Rs 150-crore Integrated Check Post (ICP) spread over 118 acres of land in Attari, Pakistan has a check post which operates from an area of just nine acres. The issue of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been hanging fire for a long time.

The historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara holds great significance for Sikhs as Guru Nanak Dev, first Sikh Guru, spent last 18 years of his life there. The distance between Dera Baba Nanak and Kartarpur Sahib is just three km.

The Sikhs have long been demanding unrestricted access to the historic shrine through a visa-free corridor connecting the two places.

Meanwhile, interacting with mediapersons at Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport before leaving for Pakistan, the Deputy Chief Minister said he was confident that the neighbouring country would start importing 6,000 items through Attari border by December 31.

Sukhbir stated that the Punjab government was making concerted efforts for opening up of a visa centre at Amritsar for simplification of visa procedure, adding that the people of Pakistan, who visit India for medical treatment, were compelled to go to Delhi.

He would take up the matter with the authorities concerned so that those people could avail of world class health facilities at Amritsar itself. Describing kabaddi a vital link between the two countries,

Badal said he would inaugurate second Asia kabaddi Cup in Pakistan on November 7. Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Mohammad Iqbal greeted the delegation when it entered Pakistan.

Prominent among those in the delegation were Cabinet ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Sikander Singh Maluka, Anil Joshi and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Sarup Chand Singla and Virsa Singh Valtoha.

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The Tribune – Congress MPs meet PM on ‘corridor’ to Sikh shrine

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 18. Three Congress MPs from Punjab today called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting him that Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur be linked with Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara at Narowal in Pakistan. The shrine in Pakistan is located less than 2 km from the border. Sikhs have been seeking a ‘corridor’ to connect the shrine with India.

Partap Singh Bajwa, Gurdaspur MP, made a written request to the PM in this regard. He was accompanied by Manish Tewari, Ludhiana MP, and Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP from Anandpur Sahib.

Bajwa said the Indian and Pakistani Governments had reached an agreement to build a ‘corridor’ in 1998 to enable Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan without a visa/passport. But there had been no progress on the issue so far.

Bajwa told the Prime Minister that post-Partition, when land on which the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala stands went to Pakistan, India swapped 12 villages near Suleman-ke head works in Fazilka for getting back the land. “We can propose to Pakistan that if it is hands over to India the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara area, we will give Pakistan an equivalent portion of land across the Ravi,” Bajwa suggested.

“A link with the shrine will be an apt confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan”, observed Tewari.

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The Tribune – Improving ties rekindle hope for more routes; Kartarpur Sahib corridor a long pending demand

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 14. With Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal renewing the demand before India and Pakistan governments, the issue of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor connecting Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur with historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan is back in the limelight.

The historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara holds great significance for Sikhs as first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life there. The distance between Dera Baba Nanak and Kartarpur Sahib is a mere 3 km and Sikhs have for long been demanding unrestricted access to the historic shrine through a visa-free corridor connecting the two places. The corridor, when constructed, would be an important channel of hassle-free pilgrimage for the devotees as compared to the long, strenuous journey through circuitous route via Wagah, Lahore and Narowal.

Most of the devotees who are unable to visit Pakistan are left with no option but to bow their head in reverence towards the shrine while standing at the “darshan sthal” (viewing facility) constructed by the BSF along the Indo-Pak border at Dera Baba Nanak from where they can catch a glimpse of the shrine. The BSF also provides them with binoculars so that they can have a clear and closer view of the shrine.

On June 28, 2008, the then Union Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee had visited Dera Baba Nanak and said a group of Indian experts would conduct feasibility study for the construction of barbed corridor, but no forward movement was made after it.

SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said, “Now that the Chief Minister has renewed the demand, the SGPC will definitely follow it up.” The DSGMC chief, Paramjit Singh Sarna, claimed the Pakistan government was almost ready for the construction of the corridor in 2003, but the then NDA government didn’t agree to it.

Senior SAD leader Kuldeep Singh Wadala, who has also been pursuing the matter, said they have been performing ‘ardaas’ at the “darshan sthal” on a particular day every month since April 13, 2001, praying before the Almighty to facilitate the corridor for the devotees.

Significance of the corridor

- Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara holds great significance for the Sikhs as first master Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years there

- The distance between Dera Baba Nanak and Kartarpur Sahib is a mere 3 km and the Sikhs have been demanding unrestricted access to the shrine through a visa-free corridor

- At present, devotees have to undertake a strenuous journey through circuitous route via Wagah, Lahore and Narowal

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120415/punjab.htm#4

The Tribune – Kartarpur Sahib Corridor; Ball in India’s court, says Pakistan

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 29 Syed Asif Hashmi, Chairman of Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which is responsible for the upkeep of gurdwaras in the neighbouring country, today said it is yet to receive any official proposal from India regarding the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.

Interacting with the mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, Hashmi said, “We are ready to cooperate with India on the issue, but it is for the Indian government to first take up the matter with Pakistan officially. As far as we are concerned, we have done our bit by constructing the road up to the point of our jurisdiction.” Sikhs have long been demanding the establishment of a passport and visa-free passage between Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, located about 3 km from the border in Pakistan’s Narowal district. According to Sikh history, Guru Nanak Dev spent 17 years at the site where Gurdwara Kartarpur is situated.

Replying to a media query, Hashmi agreed that there was a need to take a fresh look at the number of visas being issued to the pilgrims as per the Nehru-Liaquat Pact.

He said they have already doubled the number of events on which Sikh pilgrims are granted visas for pilgrimage in Pakistan from four to eight. As per the Nehru-Liaquat pact, pilgrims were given visas for Guru Nanak Dev birth anniversary (3,000 visas), Baisakhi (3,000), Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom day (500) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary (500). Hashmi asked the SGPC to take up the matter with the Indian government.

He refuted allegations regarding any gurdwara’s property being leased or illegally encroached upon in Pakistan. Hashmi said they have constructed 400 rooms for pilgrims and a three-storey langar hall, besides setting up a solar energy plant. Modern huts have been constructed at Kartarpur Sahib and Gurdwara Emnabad for pilgrims, while the langar hall has been extended to Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore.

On Sikhs’ demand to open Gurdwara Ber Sahib at Sialkot for “darshan”, he said they have invited tenders and they will soon begin its maintenance work. An orphanage, a hospital and a school for mentally challenged children, all named after Guru Nanak Dev, besides a Sikh museum in Pakistan were on the anvil.

Hashmi rejected the SGPC’s offer of Rs 1 crore for the construction of an inn at Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, contending that they will do it on their own. He suggested that the SGPC donate this amount for the proposed hospital to be named after Guru Nanak Dev.

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