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| SourceAt the Wagah Border. |
Indian govt refuses to send visitors through train; Foreign Office in Islamabad says India’s decision was caused by fear of terror hit within Pakistani territory
Monday, June 09, 2014: LAHORE: After some unforeseen technicalities, around 1,000 Sikh pilgrims arrived on Sunday at Wagah border via bus from India.
In anticipation of Indian Sikhs wishing to visit Pakistan for pilgrimage at Punjab’s various historical Gurdwaras, the Pakistani government had deployed a dispatched a special train to Attari in India to transport them to Wagah Railway Station. But India refrained from sending the Sikh pilgrims that train due to security concerns and fear of bomb blasts.
Talking to The News, the Foreign Office officials in Islamabad said the Indian government had taken the decision due to fears of the train being attacked by terrorists within Pakistan. Some media reports in Pakistan suggested that the move was made in advance and the pilgrims had been advised by the Indian authorities to cross the Wagah-Attari border by foot.
Speaking to The News, representatives of Sikh pilgrim delegation said they had come to Pakistan to practice their religious rituals at major Gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, 40 kilometres from Rawalpindi.
They said both the Indian and Pakistan governments could not be blamed for the inconvenience caused in travelling to Lahore and expressed their gratitude for the warm reception by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) officials in Pakistan. They referred to the concerns of Indian government as a ‘misunderstanding’ and said Sikhs in Pakistan enjoyed equality in all affairs of the state.
The Sikh pilgrims said they had been facilitated by the government in Pakistan on the past visits as well with impressive arrangements for food and accommodation. They also expressed optimism regarding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi at his swearing-in. They said harmony could be achieved between both countries with further strengthened and trade ties under the new BJP-led NDA government in India.
The Sikh pilgrims were later transported to Nankana Sahib in a special train from Lahore. Sikhs arriving in Pakistan on Sunday are visiting the country to perform 10-day rituals in relation to Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s (the fifth of eleven Sikh gurus) 408th death anniversary. It is referred to as Shaheedi Jor Mela in Sikh tradition. They will return on June 17 to India after performing rituals in observance of the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji.The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi had earlier in the year given visas to 341 Sikhs for purposes of pilgrimage.