Lahore: Around 2,600 Sikh pilgrims arrived from India via Wagah-Attari border to attend 553rd birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of their religion.
Led by the Jatha leaders, including Pareet Singh, Manjeet Singh and Jagjeet Singh, the pilgrims entered Pakistan on foot where they were received by the officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
Pakistan is home to some of the most important pilgrimage sites for Sikhs. They include the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469, Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal.
Under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, a large number of pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to participate in various religious festivals and occasions each year.
The 553th birthday celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak had started from 06 Nov at Janumasthan Nankana Sahib. The birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak with Akhand Path, a reading of 1,430 pages of the holy book of Sikhism, the Granth Sahib.
The main ceremony would be held at Janumasthan on 8 Nov in which thousands of Sikh yatrees from all over the world would participate. Sikh yatrees entered Pakistan from India through Wagha border crossing on 06 Nov and they visited Gurdwara Sucha Soda on 07 Nov. The yatrees would go to Punja Sahib Hassanabad on November 9.
After two-day visit, they would return to Lahore on 11 Nov.
The Sikh yatrees would visit Kartarpur, Narowal and Rori Sahib Aimanabad on 13-14 Nov. The pilgrims would return to India through Wagha border crossing on 15 Nov. ETPB Chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani said that best facilities including security, accommodation, medical, transport and others would be provided to the yatrees. Pakistan takes immense pride in preserving sacred religious places and providing necessary facilitation to the visiting pilgrims.
Pakistan knows how to respect other religions and recognizes the need for religious freedom. According to Article 36, the Constitution of Pakistan enshrines that the state will protect the legal rights and interests of ethnic minorities.
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