KARACHI, NOV 2: The biggest-ever Sikh congregation in Pakistan after partition will be held in the Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib, two holy Sikh sites, from November 6 to 13. The Pakistan government claims that 13,000 to 15,000 Sikhs are expected to visit their holy shrines in Pakistan this year, ``despite an official boycott by the Indian government of Sikhs visiting Pakistan''.The chairman of Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Board, Retired General Javed Nasir, who was also once the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has said that the record number of Sikh pilgrims are coming to Pakistan ``despite the fact that the Indian government has placed a number of obstacles in their way''.General Nasir's body is responsible for the upkeep and running of the Sikh sites in Pakistan and ever since the former ISI chief took over this sensitive job, the issue of Sikh pilgrimages to Pakistan has acquired an even more politicised angle. While the Indian Government has said that Sikhs are facing problems while performing pilgrimage to holy sites in Pakistan, the Pakistan government claims that ``nothing can be further from the truth''.Talking to journalists in Lahore, Nasir said that the Sikh pilgrims had previously not passed the number of 5,000 in which 3,000 used to come from India, while the rest came from other parts of the world. Despite the ``Indian Government official boycott'', as Nasir claimed, 400 pilgrims were able to perform pilgrimage from India in 1999.This year, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi alone had issued over 3,000 visas to Sikhs of which 2,000 were from people residing in East Punjab alone. Javed Nasir said that about 4,000 Sikhs were expected to come from the rest of the world, while 5,000 will be participating from parts of Pakistan.From India, the Sikh pilgrims will arrive by train on November 6 at Lahore. From November 6 to 9, they will stay at the Panja Sahab while from November 10 to November 12, they will be at Nankana Sahib. From November 12 to 13, the pilgrims from India will be staying at the Dera Sahib in Lahore.This year, the people of Lahore will hold a civic reception in honour of Sikh pilgrims at the historic Shalamar Gardens in Lahore. During their stay, an International Sikh Convention will be held at Nankana Sahab.Pakistan president Rafiq Tarrar will visit the Nankana Sahib to express solidarity with the Sikh community and he will participate in the Saropa celebrations.Javed Nasir told newsmen that since partition, 1.6 million Sikhs have been killed in India. He said that in Delhi alone, 12,000 Sikhs were murdered after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1986.The former ISI chief said that minorities in Pakistan were accorded ``full independence'' and that they enjoyed equal rights in Pakistan.
