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NEWS ANALYSIS
Pak ready for another proxy war
PSGPC chief’s remarks ‘mischievous’
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Lahore, April 17
After aiding and abetting terrorism for more than a decade, Pakistan seems to have worked out a long-term strategy to wage yet another proxy war against India.

The inflamatory speeches at Hotel Ambassador here hosted by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) and the Inter-Faith College in Pakistan (ICIP) betrayed the actual aim and objective of the PSGPC to exploit the sentiments of Sikhs.

The Co-Chairman of the PSGPC, Mr Sham Singh, and other speakers suggested to the Sikhs to continue their ‘peaceful struggle’ for achieving the goal of ‘Khalistan’. Leaders of various jathas from India were also invited but their speeches were guarded.

The sugar-coated talk and speeches by Lt-Gen Javed Nasir, Chairman of the PSGPC and Evacuee Trust chief may embarrass the Indian Government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The announcement that the Government of Pakistan will complete the corridor linking Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib with India by the end of next year so that the Sikhs can visit the shrine without a passport will lead to a confrontation between the SGPC and the Government of India.

After the offer by Pakistan, the SGPC had passed a resolution urging the Central Government to reciprocate the gesture so that the Sikhs could pay obeisance at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib without any visa. The Indian Government is not likely to accept this, lest Pakistan should propagate ‘Khalistan’ as the shrine management will continue to be in the hands of a ‘hostile country’.

Copies of the booklet titled “Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan: Past & Present” were distributed among the visiting devotees with the sole aim of defaming the SGPC. Though most gurdwaras could not be renovated as per the Sikh architecture, the PSGPC tried to draw mileage through pictures depicting ‘prolonged neglect’ of the gurdwaras and the subsequent facelift after the formation of the PSGPC on April 11, 1999.

Since the ‘stage-managed’ arrest of Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, self-styled chief of the Khalistan Commando Force, was a ‘big jolt’ to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan-based terrorists were not allowed to mingle with the ‘Sikh sangat’.

Mr Sham Singh, who was being used as a rubber stamp by the Evacuee Trust of Pakistan till last year, has been delegated certain powers to maintain Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

Mr Izhar-ul-Hassan, Additional Secretary, Evacuee Trust, was seen directing the Pakistani Sikhs and militants through Mr Sham Singh.

The Evacuee Trust endeavour to give an impression that it did not intend to “interfere in Sikh affairs.” However, the truth is that the police and officials of the Evacuee Trust had full control over the Baisakhi mela. The police and trust officials were deployed inside and outside the shrines. They paid scant heed to “Sikh maryada” while performing their duties.

Even as mediapersons from India were denied visas, a close watch was kept on journalists of different dailies who had obtained visas as ordinary pilgrims.

The ISI, it is being speculated, may send Gajinder Singh, chairman, Dal Khalsa International, to India to give impetus to the ‘Khalistan’ movement. Gajinder Singh has been residing in Pakistan ‘illegally’.

Earlier, the vice-president of the Dal Khalsa, Satnam Singh Paunta Sahib, had sneaked into India via the Kathmandu route.