Wagah, April 18
The President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, has agreed in principle to liberalise the policies to ensure a smooth flow of Sikh pilgrims from India to pay obeisance at gurdwaras of Pakistan. General Musharraf has announced that the Government of Pakistan would make all arrangements for the renovation of Sikh shrines which are in dilapidated conditions.

Giving a personal account of the meeting between the members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and General Musharraf, Mr Harwinder Singh Sarna, leader of he jatha, told TNS that the meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere at the five-star Pear Continental Hotel, Lahore. He said General Musharraf had agreed to accept all their demands.

Mr Sarna said a senior officer attached to General Musharraf at Rawalpindi told him that the President of Pakistan wanted to share a meal with the members of DSGMC in the Lahore which was readily accepted. He said General Musharraf extended a warm welcome to the members of the DSGMC.

“General Musharraf told the DSGMC to take the message of peace and goodwill to India”, said Mr Sarna. He further said that General Musharraf asked them what he could do for the betterment of Sikh shrines or smoothening their visit to Pakistan.

Mr Sarna said he told General Musharraf that a lot had already been done to give a better look to various gurdwaras by the Government of Pakistan. But there was scope to further improve the Sikh shrines. On this, General Musharraf agreed to get the rest of the gurdwaras in Pakistan renovated.

It is for the first time that the President of Pakistan has met the members of Sikh jatha in an informal way.

Mr Sarna reached the Wagah joint checkpost along with other 23 members of the DSGMC jatha after celebrating Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, and other Sikh shrines.

In another significant development, the DSGMC accorded recognition to the formation of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (PSGPC) by presenting ‘siropas’ (robes of honour) to Mr Name Akbar Khan and Mr Sham Singh, chairman and co-chairman of the PSGPC, respectively, at Panja Sahib to mark the Baisakhi celebrations.

Giving details of the dinner diplomacy at the (Governor’s residence) at Lahore, Mr Sarna said the Governor of Punjab, Gen Khalid Maqbool, also assured that he would endeavour to accept the demands of the Sikhs put up by different leaders at the conclave. While speaking at the meeting, Mr Sarna sought permission for arranging ‘amrit sanchar’ (baptism) in gurdwaras of Pakistan.

Mr Bakshish Singh Dharowali, leader of the SGPC, while speaking on the occasion, said all gurdwaras of the world should come under the control of shiromani committee. However, it was opposed by Mr Sarna who said that if the SGPC had no right to control the gurdwaras of Delhi, how it could claim any management in a sovereign country like Pakistan.

In another development, Mr Sarna said the PSGPC had agreed to restore ‘maryada’ (Sikh code of conduct) in all gurdwaras of Pakistan. He said Mr Sham Singh, co-chairman of the PSGPC, told him that the Government of Pakistan had agreed to have granthis (priests) and raagis (hymn singers) from India for training the Pakistani Sikhs so that ‘maryada’ could be restored in gurdwaras there. He said the Government of Pakistan was also ready to accept big jathas from India.

He said the PSGPC and Governor of Punjab had responded positively to constructing a gurdwara at the site where Bhai Mani Singh was cut into pieces by the Mughals.

To a question, Mr Sarna said that he had not seen any ‘inflammatory’ banners put by radical Sikhs this time.