Latest news with #EvacueeTrustPropertyBoard
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan invites Sikh pilgrims to attend two events in Lahore this month
Pakistan has invited Sikh pilgrims from around the world, including India, to attend two Sikh events in Lahore this month, an official said on Monday, amid tensions between the two countries. 'Death anniversaries of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Jor Mela) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be observed on June 16 and 29, respectively, in Lahore,' Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Ghulam Mohayuddin said. 'For both events, Sikh pilgrims from around the world, including India, are invited,' he added. The EPTB is a statutory board that manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs who had migrated to India following the partition. According to the schedule the ETPB issued, the main religious ceremony, including the Bhog Akhand Path Sahib ritual, will be held on June 16 at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore. The main ceremony at the samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be held on June 29. Last year, over 800 and 450 Sikhs had come to Pakistan to attend the two events, respectively. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions. The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
ETPB announces Sikh pilgrimage schedule despite Pakistan-India tensions
Listen to article The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has announced the schedule for two major Sikh religious events to be held in Pakistan this month, despite ongoing tensions and the continued suspension of cross-border movement between India and Pakistan. According to the official schedule, the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Jor Mela) will be commemorated on June 16 at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. The death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be observed on June 29 at his samadhi, also located in Lahore. Sikh pilgrims from around the world, including India, have been invited to attend. However, due to strained diplomatic ties, India is unlikely to issue the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Indian pilgrims to travel to Pakistan, according to sources. Pakistan has expressed its readiness to facilitate cross-border pilgrimage. The ETPB has finalised all necessary arrangements for potential arrivals, including security, accommodation, and transportation across key religious sites. If India grants travel permissions, the first group of pilgrims is expected to arrive on foot via the Wagah Border on Monday, June 9. The group will begin their pilgrimage at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and visit local gurdwaras during a two-day stay. The pilgrims will then proceed to Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, followed by a visit to Hassan Abdal on June 11. They are scheduled to stay at Gurdwara Panja Sahib on June 12 and are expected to visit the nearby shrine of Muslim saint Baba Wali Qandhari. On June 13, the group will travel to Narowal to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, staying until June 14. They will proceed to Lahore via Gurdwara Rori Sahib in Eminabad on June 15. The main religious ceremony for Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom, including the Bhog Akhand Path Sahib ritual, will be held on June 16 at Gurdwara Dera Sahib. Pilgrims will remain in Lahore on June 17 and return to India via Wagah on June 18. A second group of Indian pilgrims is scheduled to arrive on Sunday, June 22, for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. They will begin their visit in Nankana Sahib on June 23 before travelling to Hassan Abdal via Farooqabad on June 24. The group will stay at Gurdwara Panja Sahib on June 25, visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur on June 26–27, and travel to Lahore on June 28. The main ceremony at the samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will take place on June 29, featuring the Bhog Akhand Path Sahib. Pilgrims will spend June 30 in Lahore and depart for India on July 1, 2025. ETPB officials said all arrangements have been made to ensure a secure, comfortable, and spiritually fulfilling experience for pilgrims, contingent on Indian approval for cross-border travel.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Baisakhi festivities in full swing
Celebrations marking the Baisakhi Mela and the 326th Khalsa Birth Anniversary are currently underway under the auspices of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs. The central ceremony of the Baisakhi Mela will take place on Monday (today) at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf will be the chief guest. The event will also be attended by Punjab's provincial ministers, President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, religious leaders, and a large number of Sikh pilgrims.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Rawalpindi issues red notices for 265 dilapidated buildings
With the monsoon season approaching, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, District Council and Evacuee Trust Property Board have issued red notices to owners and tenants of 265 dangerously dilapidated multi-storey buildings across Rawalpindi, directing immediate evacuation and reconstruction. Authorities have warned that failure to vacate these buildings within 30 days will result in strict action. Post-evacuation, such buildings will be sealed. The city experiences severe damage during heavy monsoon rains every year, with two to three building collapses typically reported, often resulting in loss of life and property. Among the affected structures are several British-era buildings, estimated to be between 80 to 120 years old. A recent survey has deemed them high-risk for residential use. Despite this, many low-income families continue to reside in them due to low rents. Some of these properties are owned by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and include shops and markets under its control. These crumbling structures are mainly located in the city's old quarters, including Bhabra Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Shah Chan Chiragh, Loharan Street, Moti Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Bohar Bazaar, Banni Mohalla, Ghazni Road, Usmanpura, Saddar, Gawalmandi, Ganjmandi, Hamilton Road, Saidpuri Gate, Jungleat Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Mohalla Niariyan, Kartarpura, Mohanpura, Kalan Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Purana Qila, Sabzi Mandi, Qadeemi Mohalla, and Akal Garh. Several other dilapidated structures are also reported in Rawalpindi's suburban areas, including the vicinity of Lal Haveli. In many cases, six to eight families have been living in small three-storey houses for over five decades, paying only a few thousand rupees in rent. Similar conditions exist in government-owned properties managed by the Evacuee Trust Board. Notices have been issued to all such residents. Some tenants have challenged these notices in court. The notices also warn that if any untoward incident occurs during the monsoon due to non-compliance, tenants could face legal charges. Authorities have stated that an operation to evacuate and seal the buildings will begin after May 15 if the orders are not followed.
Arab News
11-04-2025
- Arab News
Sikh devotees from India arrive in Pakistan for spring harvest festival
ISLAMABAD: Sikh pilgrims from India began arriving in Pakistan this week via the Wagah border crossing to participate in celebrations of the Baisakhi spring festival which marks the beginning of the Sikh New Year and symbolizes spiritual rejuvenation. Pakistan has issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for the Baisakhi festival from April 10-19, with celebrations centered around Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, some 45 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. Pilgrims will also visit Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Sikhs are a small minority based in the Punjab region that is divided between Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, but several Sikh holy sites ended up being in Pakistan after the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947. Many Sikhs see Pakistan as the place where their religion began. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 in a small village in Nankana Sahib near the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. 'ETPB has ensured comprehensive arrangements for accommodation, medical facilities, transport, and other necessary services for the Sikh pilgrims,' said Farid Iqbal, Secretary Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), a key government department which administers evacuee properties, including educational, charitable or religious trusts left behind by Hindus and Sikhs who migrated to India after partition in 1947. 'Gurdwara Janam Asthan (Nankana Sahib), Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, and other holy sites have been beautifully decorated to enrich the spiritual experience of the pilgrims.' The central ceremony of the Baisakhi Festival will be held on April 14 at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib. The shrine in Hasan Abdal is one of Sikhism's holiest sites and it is believed that the handprint of the founder of the religion, Guru Nanak, is imprinted on a boulder there. Baisakhi is also meant to mark the day when Gobind Singh, the 10th and final guru of Sikhism, established the discipline of Khalsa, through which the faithful can aspire to the ultimate state of purity. Every year, hundreds of pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.
