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LAHORE, Jun 16 (APP):Sikh pilgrims, who had come to Pakistan from India, attended religious rituals at Gurdwara Dera Sahib on the eve of martyrdom day of the fifth guru of Sikhism, Arjun Dev Ji, here on Sunday.
Provincial Minister/Pradhan PSGPC Ramesh Singh Arora, officials of PSGPC , representatives of ETPB, a large number of local Sikh community were also present on the occasion.
Sikh pilgrims from India were present in Pakistan from June 8 for their religious rituals while on June 17, the pilgrims led by Sardar Gur Bajan Singh, will return to India. In the prayer ceremony, tribute was paid to the services of Guru Arjun Dev, while Sain Ali Raza Qadri, the successor of Sain Mian Mir, also participated in the ceremony and paid tribute to the services of Guru Arjun Dev. On this occasion, Provincial Minister/Pradhan Ramesh Singh Arora said that Mian Mir and Guru Arjun Dev had a spiritual connection which will be remembered till the end of the world. He said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the pilgrims were given full hospitality while the Sikh pilgrims visited various Gurdwaras in Punjab and performed their religious rituals in a good manner. The arrangements for security etc. were excellent throughout Punjab.
He further said that the work of renovating the Gurdwara in Jhelum has been started while a Gurdwara is also going to be opened in Faisalabad. The provincial minister said that the Punjab government is ensuring the protection of the Sikh religion and CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif arrives at every festival while Pakistan has become the first country where the Sikh Marriage Act is in force. It is a matter of great honor for the Sikh community, he added.
Talking to media representatives, the provincial minister said Maryam Nawaz wants the Sikh community to take full advantage of the Kartarpur Corridor while all minorities in Pakistan get complete religious freedom. Ramesh Singh said that the role of the security forces has been commendable as they are present everywhere.
Sardar Guru Bachan Singh, a Sikh pilgrim from India, expressed his gratitude and said, “We are grateful to the government of Punjab for better arrangements. We consider Pakistan as our second home. This land is also very sacred for us from the religious point of view.”
In the prayer ceremony, the provincial minister was also felicitated by the administration in recognition of his outstanding services to the Sikh community.