Amritsar, April 18
Following the SGPC's release of Nanakshahi calendar here on Baisakhi. The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) also released a parallel calendar a day earlier on April 13 to mark the Baisakhi celebrations at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassan Abdal there. However in the likelihood of the PSGPC refusing recognition to Nanakshahi calendar within two months it could put governments of both countries in a piquant situation. This is so because the next Sikh Jatha to Pakistan would be drawn up on the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev, which according to Nanakshahi calendar falls on June 16 but according to PSGPC calendar the day falls on June 4. There is gap of 12 days. So visas for Sikh jathas and other diplomatic formalities could be finalised between both countries only after consensus on dates.

Meanwhile, Mr Man Mohan Singh Bajaj, hailing the Nanakshahi calendar at Panja Sahib declared that having a separate calendar by Sikhs “ was the first step towards having separate Sikh state", stated jatha members of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) that returned here today via the joint check post at Wagah here today.