SGPC to send delegation to Pakistan

Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 4

The SGPC has announced it will send a four-member delegation to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to take stock of the situation following stone-pelting at the historic gurdwara.

Gobind Singh Longowal, SGPC president, in a statement issued today, said the incident had caused resentment among Sikhs the world over. He said a communiqué has been sent to the Pakistan Ambassador in India to grant visas to the delegation members and a letter shot off to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The delegation would comprise Rajinder Singh Mehta, senior vice-president, Dr Roop Singh, chief secretary, Surjit Singh Bhittewad and Rajinder Singh Ruby.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Roop Singh said he had spoken to Pakistan Punjab’s Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar on ensuring security to Sikhs in Pakistan and their shrines.

Rajinder Singh Mehta said the SGPC had contacted the Pakistan government and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. He claimed that Ehsan, the brother of Mohammad Hassan, who had reportedly coerced Jagjit Kaur, the daughter of a granthi at Gudwara Tambu Sahib in Nankana Sahib, into marrying him after converting her religion to Islam, had organised the mob attack.

He said the Nankana Sahib police had identified Ehsan’s 42 friends and classmates, who had resorted to stone-pelting. He demanded that a case be filed against the accused. “Maryada at the historic Sikh shrine was not violated,” he claimed.

Condemning the hooliganism, Dal Khalsa urged Pakistan PM Imran Khan to “take a stand on the unfortunate incident that has severely hurt millions of followers of Guru Nanak”.

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