Indian Sikh body writes to Pakistan High Commissioner for reinstating Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib’s administrative control to PSGPC

Slamming Pakistan’s transfer over snatching away the administration of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Thursday wrote a letter to Pakistan High Commissioner.

Fuming over the event, Sikh’s single largest consultant physique has requested Pakistan to provide again the executive management of the Gurdwara to PSGPC.

READ | Pakistan snatches full management of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur from nation’s high Sikh physique

What did Pakistan authorities do? As reported by Zee News on November 4, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan authorities formally took away the total management of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Punjab’s Narowal District from the PSGPC and gave it to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), a Muslim physique. The ETPB manages non secular properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) on November three launched an official order. The transfer got here days forward of the primary anniversary of the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor on November 9. 

Sikhs in India: The handing over of the administration of Kartarpur Sahib to the newly constituted Project Management Unit (PMU) has irked the Sikh management in India as they mentioned that it’s “belittling the significance of Sikh’s own Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC)”.

Reacting to the event throughout the border, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal mentioned that earlier Gurdwara Darbar Sahib was below the executive management of PSGPC and functioning was in response to the Sikh code of conduct and Sikh rituals. “Now Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur became directly under the administrative control of ETPB which may affect the daily rituals performed according to Sikh code of conduct,” he mentioned.

Sukhbir Singh Badal: Former deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in restoring the administration of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib again to PSGPC. Sukhbir tweeted, “I request PM Narendra Modi to ask Gov to Pakistan to revert the management of Sri Kartapur Sahib to PSGPC and take back its order to hand it over to a non-Sikh project management unit. Pak should be told to desist discriminating against Sikhs and violating ‘maryada’ associated with managing shrines.”

Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has additionally requested PM Modi to take up the problem with Pakistan PM Imran Khan. She tweeted, “Unacceptable, outrageous, Sikhs are aghast that Govt of Pakistan has handed over management of Gurdwara Sri KartarpuSahib to Islamic physique ETPB. We urge PM Narendra Modi to take up matter with Imran Khan to make sure Sikh physique’s proper to handle the shrine be restored on the earliest.”

Manjinder Singh Sirsa: Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa mentioned that he had written a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urging him to right away take up the matter with Pakistan authorities about stopping the undesirable interference of Gurdwara affairs.

Paramjit Singh Sarna: SAD (D) president and former president of DSGMC Paramjit Singh Sarna mentioned he had held talks with ETPB officers who knowledgeable that PMU Kartapur Sahib was arrange just for the event of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartapur Sahib. However, he mentioned that it could have been higher if the Pakistan authorities had additionally given illustration to Sikhs within the new physique.

Sarna additionally wrote a missive to ETPB chairman to precise his displeasure. He mentioned he urged the Chairman ETPB to have a sizeable Sikh illustration within the PMU. Reacting to the condemnations, ETPB spokesperson Amir Hashmi maintained that “PMU has been established to look after the day to day running of affairs ie management, accounts etc and coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders”.

MEA: Meanwhile, the MEA on Thursday mentioned, “This unilateral decision by Pakistan is highly condemnable and runs against the spirit of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as also the religious sentiments of the Sikh community at large.” It additional mentioned that that they had obtained representations from the Sikh group expressing grave concern at this choice by Pakistan focusing on the rights of the minority Sikh group in Pakistan.

“Such actions only expose the reality of the Pakistani government and its leadership’s tall claims of preserving and protecting the rights and welfare of the religious minority communities. Pakistan is called upon to reverse its arbitrary decision to deprive the Sikh minority community it’s right to manage affairs of the Kartarpur Sahib,” mentioned the discharge.

What occurred to this point? Notably, ETPB has already eliminated 4 members particularly Gopal Singh Chawla and Mahinderpal Singh (each Sikhs), Shanela Ruth (Christian) and Ravi Kumar (Hindu) members from minority group from ETPB’s board. While rejecting the claims of ETPB almost about organising of PMU Kartarpur Sahib, sources knowledgeable that villages round Kartarpur Sahib had vital strategical worth for Pakistan Army and ISI. 

Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is sort of lively in areas near the Indo-Pak International border and makes use of lots of its villages like Masroor Bara Bai because the launchpad of terrorists to infiltrate into India mentioned sources. The terrorists who had infiltrated into India to hold out Dinangar police station assault in 2015 had reportedly stayed for about a few days at Masroor Bara Bai village earlier than coming into into India.

Hardeep Singh Puri: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri additionally mentioned, “If they’ve done it, then, it should be condemned in strongest possible terms. As representatives of Gurdwara Prabandhan Committee there removed & members of ISI put.”

Kartarpur hall: The 4-km lengthy hall hyperlinks Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan – the ultimate resting place of Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak Dev. On November 9, 2019, the Pakistan PM had formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as a part of the commemoration of the 550th start anniversary of Guru Nanak at a vibrant ceremony.

Pakistan’s official order: An official order on November three learn, “Consequent upon the approval of Project Management Unit (PMU) Kartarpur Corridor by ECC of the Cabinet, and ratified by the Cabinet (conveyed by MoRA…dated 23.10.2020), the competent authority has been pleased to establish Project Management Unit (PMU), a self-financing body, for Management and Maintenance of Gurdwara Dardar Sahib Kartarpur (GADSK) under the administrative control of ETPB.”

It additional listed 9 officers and workers members who’ve been posted at PMU at Kartarpur Narowal to implement the Project Business Plan. The officers are– Muhammad Tariq Khan, AS Shrines, ETPB as Chief Executive Officer OPS (extra cost); Abdullah Awais, Assistant Administrator as Deputy Secretary Admn/ Finance OPS; Haider Muktar, Accountant; ETPB as Assistant Accounts Officer; Ahsan Khan, ASO, ETPB as Security Officer; Haider All Bangash, Computer Operator, ETPB; Khushnood Shoukat, UDC (Survey), ETPB; Arshad Guijar, LDC (Accounts), ETPB; Adil Ali, Naib Qasid, ETP and Tanveer Ahmed, Driver, ETPB.

It added, “All officers/ official…are relieved from their duties with immediate effect with directions to join their new place of posting forthwith.”

On October 29, PSGPC chief Satwant Singh had instructed information company PTI that it’ll have fun the primary anniversary of the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9. However, the ETPB had distanced itself from the PSGPC’s initiative, saying “it has not received any instructions to celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the corridor so far”.

Kartarpur Corridor first anniversary: “We have decided in principle to celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor and for the purpose, we will invite some two to three ministers and other government functionaries,” Singh instructed PTI. When requested as to why the ETPB was not internet hosting this operate together with the PSGPC, Singh had mentioned, “Since the construction of Kartarpur Corridor is a historic event, the Sikh body in Pakistan has decided in principle to celebrate its first inauguration anniversary. And so far the ETPB is concerned, we are inviting it and other government functionaries and ministers for the event.”

The hall, which permits Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free journey to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara – was closed on March 16 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. India has mentioned a choice to re-open the Kartarpur hall could be taken in accordance with the protocols regarding COVID-19 and easing of restrictions.

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Singh additional mentioned that Sikhs from all elements of Pakistan would go to the hall on November 9. “Some 500 to 1,000 locals visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib daily,” he had mentioned. Meanwhile, an official of the ETPB had instructed PTI that no operate in reference to the primary anniversary of the inauguration of the hall has been deliberate on the authorities degree. “The PSGPC is organizing a programme on its own,” he had mentioned.

Earlier in October, the Foreign Office had mentioned that Pakistan will have fun the 551st start anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev from November 28 to 30.