CHANDIGARH, Punjab—To answer the propaganda being promoted by the Indian media about the management of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today held a press conference at Gurdwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib.
In this press conference, PSGPC’s general secretary Ameer Singh said that the PSGPC has been looking after the religious affairs of all the Pakistan-wide historic and Singh Sabha Gurdwaras since its constitution in 1999 while the Evacuee Trust Property Board looks after administrative and financial affairs of these Gurdwaras.
“For the last few days, it is being preached that the Pakistan government has assigned the management of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib to a nine-member committee while sidelining PSGPC. Hereby, I want to make it clear that the PSGPC is meant to manage the religious affairs including organization of Patth, langar, etc. while the administrative affairs are managed by the Pakistan government,” he added.
Ameer Singh clarified that managing administrative affairs like immigration and security affairs don’t come under the jurisdiction of PSGPC. “The PSGPC has been managing the religious affairs of all the Sikh shrines situated in Pakistan and will continue to do so in future also,” he added.
Taking a dig at SGPC for fueling propaganda against Pakistan while emerging as a sympathizer of PSGPC, Ameer Singh recalled that the SGPC was the first one to oppose the constitution of PSGPC in 1999 due to which the Sikh sangat couldn’t pay a visit to Pakistan for a long time.
“At the time of its constitution of PSGPC, you didn’t accept its existence but now you’re shedding tears through a false propaganda while saying that the PSGPC’s jurisdiction has been narrowed,” he said.
He claimed that the development of Sikh shrines picked a fast pace after the constitution of PSGPC.
Ameer Singh also took on the DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa for promoting Indian state’s propaganda while questioning his efforts to fully utilize the maximum limit cap of 5,000 pilgrims to Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib.
“We got this corridor reopened in June despite prevailing COVID-19 pandemic but the Indian government didn’t allow Sikh pilgrims to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib,” he said.
He appealed to the worldwide Sikhs not to pay attention to India’s propaganda over the management of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib.
“The PSGPC is an independent committee that manages Gurdwaras situated all across Pakistan unlike SGPC, whose jurisdiction is limited to Punjab only,” he said.
Ameer Singh made it clear that the ETPB has never interfered in the religious affairs of any Sikh shrine till now. “Neither any government body has interfered in our working nor do we tolerate it,” he added.
PSGPC’s former president Bishan Singh, former PSGPC members Tarn Singh and Kuljeet Singh, Gurdwara Janam Asthan’s head granthi Giani Balwant Singh etc. were also present on this occasion.
