Gilani assures liberal Visa formalities for Sikh pilgrimage

By Ravinder Singh Robin, New Delhi. Nov. 5, : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has assured the Sikh diaspora liberal visa formalities enabling them to visit and pay obeisance at various Gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Pakistan Government has been granting specific visas to visit only six of the historical Gurdwaras.

On Thursday, Pakistan PM met with a high level delegation of Sikhs leaders led by Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan Minister of Minority Affairs in Islamabad.

There are over 170 historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

An estimated 100,000 Sikhs from around the world visit Pakistan every year to pay obeisance at their religious places.

In a meeting that lasted for nearly one hour, the Sikh leaders also took up other matters related to the Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

The Sikh leaders urged that Sikh architecture should be adopted for the either construction or renovation of the Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

Moreover, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) offered its services for the beautification of the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, the first master of the Sikhs.

While talking to ANI, Dr. Pritpal Singh, convener American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (AGPC), informed that Prime Minister Gilani also assured for the early construction of the building for the proposed Guru Nanak Dev University in Pakistan.

Dr. Singh said that AGPC would bear all the expenses for the "Gurmat Sangeet" facility in the University.

Besides Dr. Pritpal Singh, Jagir Singh, Jatha leader SGPC, Manmohan Singh from UK, Sham Singh, former PSGPC President, Sahib Singh , member PSGPC and other Sikh leaders from Jammu and other places also participated in the meeting.

--ANI