M A I N   N E W S

Pak Govt apologises to Sikhs 
125 students rounded up for attack on Nankana Sahib
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 28
The Government of Pakistan, especially Chaudhary Parvez Elahi, Chief Minister Punjab (western Punjab), today apologised to the Sikhs all over the world for the unfortunate incidents engineered by some miscreants at Nankana Sahib, even as the district administration of Shekhupra has rounded up as many as 150 students of Guru Nanak Degree College on the charge of attacking members of the Sikh community and ransacking of their business establishments on September 25.

Meanwhile, a high-level delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal, New Delhi, led by Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna along with senior leaders of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today visited Nankana Sahib to collect the first-hand information.

Talking to TNS from Nankana Sahib on the telephone, Mr Sham Singh, co-chairman PSGPC, claimed that though stones were pelted on some houses or shops belonging to Sikhs yet it could not be termed as a Sikh-Muslim clash.

Mr Mastan Singh, president-elect of the PSGPC who belongs to Nankana Sahib and runs Guru Nanak Public School there told this correspondent on the telephone that there was complete communal harmony between the Sikhs and Muslims in the town.

Dr Swarn Singh , a resident of Swat (Pakistan) and Mr Naam Singh, a shopkeeper of Nankana Sahib, said the attack on Sikhs were being highlighted out of proportion while it was a hard fact that the state government and the district administration took prompt action to restore normalcy in the town.

Mr Sarna who was accompanied by Dr Mohinder Singh and Mr Gurcharn Singh said the building of Janamasthan Nankana Sahib was safe and no damage was caused to the Sikh shrine.

Baba Amrik Singh kar sevawale who visited Nankana Sahib today said Muslim brethren and senior police officials, politicians including, members of the National Assembly had also paid visit to the town to take stock of the situation.

He said the Muslim leaders were feeling ashamed of the incident which was considered unprecedented in the recent history. He said local residents of Nankana Sahib had invited the Sikh leaders from India to visit their houses.

He said the government of Pakistan tried to get the degree college vacated on the request of the SAD, New Delhi as understanding to this effect was reached last year.

Dr Pritpal Singh, president, American Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, appreciated the timely action taken by the Government of Pakistan , Mr Manmohan Singh Khalsa, a UK-based Dal Khalsa leader told this correspondent that he had talked to the Governor and Chief Minister Punjab (Pakistan) who assured that all preventive measures would be taken to safeguard the life and properties of the minorities.

Mr Mastan Singh also sent a letter to the world Sikh leaders claiming that the Government of Pakistan had apologized to the Sikhs for the incident. On the other hand, Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, convener, Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Society, in a written press release said some shops and houses belonging to the Sikhs were attacked by the miscreants.

The SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, however, has decided to send a high-powered team to Pakistan to inquire into the unfortunate incident. Mr Dalmegh Singh, SGPC secretary said the team would meet Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and senior officials of Evacuee Trust Properties Board in this regard. “The gurdwaras are not only places of worship for the Sikhs, but also nerve centers of their religious and social activities and are glorious history and the Sikh heritage of the community”. The team comprises Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, MP from Tran Taran, Mr Gurpal Singh Gora and Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, a senior vice president and general secretary of the SGPC respectively, Mr Surinder Singh Thekedar and Mr Dalmegh Singh, SGPC secretary. Bibi Jagir Kaur herself would call upon Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi to lodge a protest. The SGPC today took up the matter with senior officials of the PSGPC.

The senior Muslim leaders who accompanied the SAD delegation to Nankana Sahib included Pir Mumtaz Ali Khan, Mr Twakal Ula Virk, Mr Shahid Iqbal, Dr Abdul Rahim and Prof Akram Shaid, Mr Sayad Samuel, a DSP and Mr Abdul Rehman, Inspector. They visited the houses of the Sikhs and their shops as a part of the confidence building exercise.

Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Mr Harinder Pal Singh – both SGPC members, said the attack on Sikhs was unprecedented. They said the Sikhs and the Muslims enjoyed good relations and gurdwaras or the Sikhs were never attacked after Partition. Mr Harinder Pal termed the protests being lodged before Pakistani Embassy was aimed to divide both the communities which had been living in utmost harmony. He said the attacks were made by the students and it should not be termed as Sikh — Muslim clash at all.

New Delhi: India today came up with a measured but mild reaction on the reported mob attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore.

In response to a question the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said: “We have seen reports of the incident at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. We hope that the Government of Pakistan will take the necessary measures for the protection of the holy shrine.”

It may be recalled that in this context in 1974 India and Pakistan had signed a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines. One clause of this protocol says that every effort should continue to be made to ensure that places of religious worship mentioned in the agreed list are properly maintained and their sanctity preserved.

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib has been mentioned in this list.

Pervez seeks report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao have sought report from their country’s Punjab Government on the mob attack on Nankana Sahib. — UNI

We may not accept PSGPC membership: Bibi

The SGPC is likely to decline the offer of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) to become member of its newly-formed 15 member advisory panel following trouble at Nankana Sahib. Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief who had once stopped sending jathas to Pakistan in protest against the formation of the PSGPC was looking for an opportunity to defame the Government of Pakistan on the issue. Apart from the SGPC chief, Jathedars of Akal Takht, Patna Sahib, Hazoor Sahib and President Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee were taken as member of the advisory panel.