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Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
SGPC plans to send Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan in November for Guru Nanak Jayanti despite diplomatic tensions
Despite the tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Shimla Agreement, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Thursday announced plans to send a jatha (group) of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan in November to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. In a statement, SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said, 'As in previous years, SGPC will send a jatha for the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev's Parkash Gurpurb to visit various historical Gurdwaras in Pakistan.' He added that devotees wishing to join the pilgrimage must submit their passports and a recommendation from the SGPC member in the area to the SGPC's yatra department by August 4. The pilgrimage includes visits to Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, and other sites of religious significance in Pakistan. The arrangements fall under a longstanding framework based on the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which permits Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistani Gurdwaras four times a year. Partap Singh said, 'Along with the passport, devotees must include a photocopy of an identity proof such as an Aadhaar card or Voter ID.' He appealed to the devotees to complete their documentation in a timely manner to facilitate visa processing. Under the existing pilgrimage arrangement, up to 3,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims are permitted to travel to Pakistan for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The agreement allows 1,000 pilgrims for the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan and 500 for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. SGPC had earlier decided not to send a jatha to Pakistan in June for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. That decision followed heightened diplomatic strains, including Pakistan's suspension of the Shimla Agreement in late April after India withdrew from the Indus Waters Treaty. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir in which 26 people were killed on April 22. It escalated into military conflict between India and Pakistan until a ceasefire was declared on May 10.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Golden Temple receives second bomb threat; security heightened
Golden temple AMRITSAR: In less than twenty-four hours, the Golden Temple once again received a threatening message warning of a possible bomb attack. The fresh threat, similar in content to a previous one referencing RDX and a specific time, sparked renewed concern among authorities and devotees alike. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Secretary Partap Singh informed on Tuesday that the internet department of SGPC received the mail on the morning, following which the same was informed to the police. Stating that the content of the fresh threat email is almost the same as the one received on Monday, Partap said, 'People of all religions — Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and others — come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. A few mischievous elements are uncomfortable with this unity and have once again issued threats not only against the Golden Temple but also against other religious places.' While condemning the threat and labelling it an attempt to disturb communal harmony, the Secretary, SGPC said that those who make such threats have no religion of their own. Their sole aim is to spread fear among people. But devotees continue to visit Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in large numbers — listening to kirtan, partaking in langar, and reciting the name of the Guru with devotion, he added. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the investigation is progressing rapidly and a breakthrough is expected soon. "We are close to solving the case," he said. Sources close to the investigation informed that both the central and state agencies are working in coordination and are analysing digital footprints and email trails to trace the origin of the threat. The language and content of the latest threat closely mirror the previous one, leading investigators to believe that the same person or group may be responsible, added the sources. Meanwhile, security around the Golden Temple and other key religious sites in the region has been stepped up following the threats. Police and intelligence agencies are reportedly on high alert.
Hindustan Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: No jatha to be sent to Pak amid restrictions: SGPC
In the wake of the restrictions imposed by India amid tension with Pakistan, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Monday decided to scrap the process of sending a Sikh jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 30. SGPC secretary Partap Singh said that this year the jatha is not being sent amid the tension between both countries and restrictions imposed by the Indian government on the pilgrimage. 'For more information, the devotees can contact the pilgrimage department of the SGPC,' he added. After the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, India debarred its citizens from going to the neighbouring country through the Attari-Wagah border checkpost. HTC
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Inda-Pak tensions disrupt Sikh pilgrimages, raise corridor security concerns
Amritsar: The conflict between India and Pakistan — triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives — is having major religious repercussions, particularly for Sikh pilgrims. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has been forced to suspend planned visits to Pakistan and the remains closed for daily pilgrimages to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur Sahib) in Pakistan. SGPC secretary Partap Singh on Monday announced that the committee would not send a jatha to Pakistan to observe the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh on June 29, citing travel restrictions imposed by the Centre. He said that a jatha scheduled for May 15, intended to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, also could not proceed for the same reason. Singh appealed to the central govt to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor, stressing the importance of allowing devotees to fulfil their religious aspirations by visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, via the Integrated Check Post at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. India had suspended the day-long pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on May 7, just hours after the launch of Operation Sindoor, citing security concerns for pilgrims. Meanwhile, a religious ceremony was reportedly held at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore on Monday to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev. This follows an "unprecedented" symbolic reception ceremony organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) at Wagah (Pakistan) on June 9, which media reports suggest was aimed at "inflaming Sikh religious sentiments as part of its ongoing anti-India agenda". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, as more details of Pakistan's alleged espionage network emerge, questions are being raised about the management of the Kartarpur Corridor. It is becoming increasingly evident, according to sources, why the Pakistani govt opted not to entrust the corridor's management to the PSGPC. Instead, it established a new entity, the Project Management Unit (PMU), placing it under the direct control of senior officials from the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Intelligence agencies indicate that all three people recently arrested on spying charges – Devender Singh Dhillon, Jyoti Malhotra, and Jasbir Singh – had visited Kartarpur Sahib, which is reportedly under the ISI's direct control. According to media reports, Brigadier Muhammad Latif of the Pakistan Army was appointed as the PMU's first chief executive officer (CEO), later replaced by Muhammad Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi, a senior ISI deputy director general. Further concerns were raised when Pakistan constituted a nine-member management team, comprised solely of Muslim officials, to oversee the operations of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur. Indian intelligence sources have expressed concern that the appointment of Ramesh Singh Arora as the first Sikh minister in Pakistan's Punjab province may be a strategic move by the ISI. As president of the PSGPC, Arora is reportedly being positioned to expand the ISI's influence among Indian Sikh organisations, using religious outreach and cross-border engagements as a cover for intelligence operations. MSID:: 121884138 413 |
The Star
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
India says highly revered Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab safe
NEW DELHI: The highly revered Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev, in Pakistan's Punjab province is safe, the Indian government said. A video shared on social media is claiming that India has carried out a drone attack on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara. However, the Press Information Bureau's (PIB's) Fact Check on Saturday said the claim is completely fake. 'Such content is created to spread communal hatred. Please be cautious. Do not forward such videos,' it added. Earlier on Friday (My 9), India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during a special briefing on Operation Sindoor in the national capital, said India did not target Nankana Sahib Gurdwara through drone attack, dismissing false claims made by Pakistan. From the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar to Nankana Sahib, the distance is 104km. There are many gurdwaras, including Kartarpur Sahib, Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib, in Pakistan. Gurdwara Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev and holds great importance for Sikhs and Hindus around the world. It is there that Guru Nanak used to play with his childhood friends in an open field. Meanwhile, on the direction of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, SGPC officials on Friday visited Sikhs who were injured in a Pakistani attack in Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir and met them in the hospital. They assured all possible assistance on behalf of the Sikh body. SGPC Secretary Partap Singh and Sri Darbar Sahib Manager Rajinder Singh Ruby expressed their sympathy after meeting Gurmeet Singh and his son Rajvansh Singh, who are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Amritsar. SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said amid the tense situation in the country, the victims were travelling from Poonch to Jammu when their vehicle convoy was attacked. As a result, one Sikh lost his life while Gurmeet Singh, his son Rajvansh Singh, and other family members sustained serious injuries. Gurmeet Singh and Rajvansh Singh were admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar, where they are currently receiving medical care. Secretary Partap Singh said the SGPC considers it a duty to stand with humanity in times of distress and is completely fulfilling its responsibility even under the current circumstances. He added that under the instructions of SGPC President Dhami, special arrangements for shelter and meals have been made at nearby gurdwaras for people displaced from border areas. Additionally, sacred saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are also being safely relocated from evacuated village gurdwaras. He appealed to residents of border areas to contact their nearest historic gurdwaras under the SGPC management, if they require assistance. - The Statesman/ANN
