Kartarpur photoshoot: PSGPC to take legal action against model, company

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 30

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) has decided to take legal action against a Pakistan-based model and a firm over a photoshoot at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, located in Punjab province of Pakistan.

The matter came to light when an online clothing brand posted many pictures of model Sauleha on its social media account.

The model, wearing a red salwar suit, was seen posing in front of the gurdwara while her head was not covered.

Notably, anyone, irrespective of gender, is required to cover his/her head while visiting a Sikh shrine.

After the row erupted, the model and the firm tendered an online apology and removed the pictures from the social media account. However, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is adamant on taking legal action against them.

Talking to The Tribune, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Ameer Singh said Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar Rao had taken strong cognizance of the incident at the shrine which recently reopened. The case is being followed up by Pakistan Punjab IG Sardar Ali Khan.

“The model and the firm have already tendered an apology for their folly, but we have already started the process for taking legal action so that such incidents are never repeated,” the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief said.

He said a strong mechanism was being adopted to spread awareness among the visitors about the Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ (code of conduct) while visiting the shrine. Extra ‘sewadars’ were being deputed at the shrine to keep a watch on compliance of the norms, Ameer Singh said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has expressed outrage over the pictures taken at the shrine.