The jatha (batch of pilgrims) of Sikh pilgrims that goes to Pakistan every year to mark the martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Sikh Master, at Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore, would not be able to go this year.
Pakistan government did not give permission to jatha due to the pandemic situation.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Jagir Kaur said that giving the reason of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pakistan government has not given permission to jatha.
“SGPC was fully prepared to send the jatha across the border to Pakistan and so far, the Indian government had also not raised any kind of restriction on the jatha”, said Bibi Jagir Kaur.
SGPC’s assistant secretary media Kulwinder Singh Ramdas said, “The pilgrimage Department of SGPC talked telephonically to Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (PSGPC’s) president Satwant Singh, who informed that due to the COVID-19 situation the jatha coming to Pakistan on the occasion of Shaheedi Diwas (martyrdom day) of the fifth Guru has not been given permission by the government.”
Kulwinder Singh said that the jatha was scheduled to depart for Pakistan on June 6 to mark the martyrdom day on June 14.
“The pilgrims who had deposited their passports for going to Pakistan on the occasion of martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, can collect them back from the SGPC’s Yatra Department”, said Kulwinder Singh.
