Pakistan gives legal sanctity to PSGPC

[s s Jhamka]

Pakistan gives legal sanctity to PSGPC

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 15

The Government of Pakistan has passed a Bill to give legal sanctity to the five-year-old Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). This is for the first time that any Islamic country has accorded sanction to a religious body of a minority community.

Mr Izhar-ul-Hassan, Additional Secretary of the Pakistan Evacuee Property Trust Board, told TNS on telephone that the Government of Pakistan had given a nod to the PSGPC.

However, like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) which was formed as per an Act passed by the Indian Parliament, the PSGPC is unlikely to run on a similar pattern. The SGPC is a statutory body under the Parliament Act. It holds regular elections to elect its trustees.

Mr Harpal Singh Bhullar, president of the International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society, said he had received information from Mr Sham Singh, co-chairman of the PSGPC, that the Government of Pakistan had issued notification in this regard. Mr Bhullar said the PSGPC would now become an International Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee by giving due representation to the SGPC, American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and other Sikh religious bodies from all over the world.

Mr Parmjit Singh Sarna, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), said following legal sanctity, the base of the PSGPC would be expanded. Mr Sarna claimed that the PSGPC was no more a one-man show since many baptised Sikhs from Peshawar, Sindh and Nankana Sahib had been inducted into it.

[smartsingh24]

So what does this mean for us? And what do they mean by International Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee?

[Khalsa4ever]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

:wub: It's one small step!

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

more then hindustan has every done

[DhadiMania]

even the pakistanis are better than the hindustanis.

[s s Jhamka]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa

vaheguru ji ki fateh

it means we wont have to keep looking to hindia for direction, plus it will give sikhs living outside hindia a bigger voice. They are looking at getting sikhs from usa, canada,uk to join this committee it becomes more repersentative of sikhs plus we wont have the sword off hindia hanging over us.

its a good step, its got it bad points but if the sikhs can get there act together it will be a base for us to help the singhs and singhnia back home plus would be ideal place for sikh refugees and karkoos to settle.

sukdev