Nankana Sahib, November 17
Unlike the past, not even a single banner of inflammatory slogans by any radical Sikh outfit was displayed at Sikh shrines in Pakistan on the occasion of the birth celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev today.

The banners of separatist thoughts have been replaced with “welcome” and “congratulations” banners, which have been put up by the Punjab Tourism Department. Earlier, a number of banners by the Babbar Khalsa International, the Dal Khalsa, the International Sikh Youth Federation, the Khalistan Zindabad Force and the KCF used to be a regular feature on Gurpurb here.

The shift in the policy of the Pakistan Government is an apparent move to tell the world that it is not promoting secessionist movement anymore in the aftermath of the attack on Indian Parliament by pro-Pakistan militants on December 13 last year.

Meanwhile, Mr Sham Singh, co-chairman, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), rejected the demand of the SGPC to disband the PSGPC. He reiterated that the PSGPC was formed as per the aspirations of the Sikh Sangat and hence could not be scrapped.

The PSGPC chief said the offerings on Gurpurb had decreased drastically after the Indian Government imposed a ban on jathas. He said the PSGPC, having being formed after the SGPC, wanted to get guidelines, especially on the maryada issue. He said the SGPC must volunteer to send jathas of “kar sevaks” for the maintenance of gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Mr Sham Singh said the PSGPC might move the court against the daily, The News, for accusing Gen Javed Nasir, a former Chairman of the PSGPC, of embezzling gurdwara funds.

He, however, feigned ignorance whether any Sikh organisation from abroad had collected funds or gold in the name of carrying out “kar seva” at Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan.