518 Sikh pilgrims cross into Pak via Attari, 78 stopped over document issues

A Sikh jatha on Wednesday crossed over to Pakistan to mark Shahidi Gurpurb through the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post, while 78 members, including 67 of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) and 11 from Punjab, were stopped by the Indian authorities over incomplete documents.

Golden Temple manager Rajinder Singh Ruby, who accompanied the jatha till Attari, said 518 devotees crossed over to Pakistan.

Earlier, a Sikh jatha, led by SGPC members Bhupinder Singh and Gurmeet Singh Booh, was flagged off from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee office in the morning. They would return on June 19.

It is after a gap of 14 years that a Sikh jatha will take part in the religious congregation marking the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev in Lahore.

Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj said since Guru Arjan Dev had attained martyrdom in Lahore, it was essential for the Khalsa Panth to gather there every year on the Guru's martyrdom anniversary and pay homage. He thanked the governments of India and Pakistan for facilitating the visit. Under the 1974 agreement between India and Pakistan, four Sikh jathas travel to Pakistan for pilgrimage to Sikh shrines every year.

Chanting "Waheguru" and listening to Gurbani, the jatha headed to the Attari-Wagah joint check-post to cross over to Pakistan. As a special gesture, the Centre opened the International Border with Pakistan (closed since Operation Sindoor) to facilitate the pilgrimage. Gurinder Singh Mathrewal, secretary of the Dharam Prachar Committee, felicitated the leaders of the group with "siropas".

The jatha will visit Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Sheikhupura, on June 11. It will leave for Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib on June 12, from where it will reach Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, Sri Kartarpur Sahib on June 14. On June 15, the jatha will visit Gurdwara Sri Rori Sahib, Aminabad, and then reach Gurdwara Sri Dehra Sahib Lahore. On June 18, the jatha will participate in the martyrdom celebrations and return on June 19.