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1 Sikh pilgrims march during the Baisakhi festival, at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, 50 km from Islamabad. AP/PTI file photo
New Delhi, February 17
The Union Home Ministry Thursday denied permission to 600 Sikh pilgrims intending to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan citing the security and COVID-19 situation in that country, officials said.
In a communication to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the home ministry said the security situation in Pakistan continues to be adverse and there is a threat to Indian citizens in that country.
Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected five lakh people in Pakistan and 10,000 people lost their lives due to the disease.
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SGPC seeks fresh count of Gurdwaras in Pakistan
Tue, Feb 16 2021 09:55:17 AM
By Ravinder Singh Robin
New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS): The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has sought a fresh count of the number of Gurdwaras in Pakistan following a controversy.
The SGPC Sikh s single largest representative body in the world, has asked the Pakistan government to conduct a fresh count of Gurdwaras to bring an end to the confusion created by Pakistan s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the ruling party s Member National Assembly (MNA) Ramesh Kumar Vankwani.
Talking to the media, spokesperson of ETPB, Aamir Hashmi said there were 105 Gurdwaras in Pakistan out of which 18 were functional while the other Gurdwaras were involved in some or other kind of litigation and were closed.
File Photo
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that Khalistani terror groups’ past links with Balwant Singh Rajoana, given death penalty in 2007 for his role in assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, made the prevailing circumstances in the country non-conducive for a decision on mercy pleas filed on his behalf.
Hinting at the controversy over purported remarks in certain quarters about Canada-based Khalistan supporters lending financial help and instigating protesting farmers camping at border points of Delhi, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, “Let us not forget that he was awarded death penalty for the assassination of a sitting chief minister of Punjab over the Khalistan issue. The President has started the process of consideration and a decision will be taken on the mercy pleas filed by others on behalf of Rajoana. But the present circumstances are not conducive for a decision on the mercy pleas.”
A jatha (group) of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will visit Pakistan from February 18 to February 25 to mark the centenary of the martyrdom of Sikhs and Saka Nankana Sahib.