ATTOCK June 13: Over 500 Indian Sikh pilgrims who are on their pilgrimage visit to attend Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s 420th martyrdom anniversary and Jor Mela offered their religious rituals at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal on Saturday.
The pilgrims expressed complete satisfaction over the arrangements of accommodation, langar (community meals), cleanliness, medical facilities, transport, and foolproof security. They thanked the Government of Pakistan, ETPB and the administration. They stated that they are being provided with world-class facilities in Pakistan and added that “our gurdwaras are now in better and more secure condition than before. Additional Secretary Shrines Nasser Mushtaq said that, under the directions of Chairman ETPB Qamar-uz-Zaman, all possible facilities are being ensured for the pilgrims, and this visit reflects a strong example of promoting religious tourism and interfaith harmony in Pakistan. According to the schedule, the pilgrims reached Gurdwara Panja Sahib after visiting Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Farooqabad, where they will stay for one day and perform their religious rituals. On June 14, the Sikh jatha will depart for Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, while on June 15 they will visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib Eminabad en route to Lahore. The main ceremony of the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji will be held on June 16 at Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore. The Indian Sikh pilgrims, after completing their 10-day visit, will depart on June 19.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Engineer Amir Khattak, along with Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Region Babar Sarfraz Alpa, visited Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal to review security arrangements for Sikh pilgrims attending the annual Jor Mela commemorations. During the visit, he was accompanied by District Police Officer (DPO) Attock Sardar Mavarhan Khan and Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza. They conducted a detailed inspection of the security measures in place at the historic gurdwara, including entry and exit points, crowd management arrangements, and the overall law and order situation.They reviewed the facilities and security protocols established to ensure the safety and convenience of Sikh pilgrims participating in the religious festivities.Speaking on the occasion, RPO Babar Sarfraz Alpa said that ensuring the protection of the lives and property of minority communities and providing them with a peaceful environment remained a top priority for the police department.He reiterated that any attempt by miscreants to disrupt peace and order would not be tolerated adding that comprehensive security measures had been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.
