Pakistan Set To Declare Panja Sahib As Holy City

[Mehtab Singh]

CHANDIGARH: The Pakistan government has decided to declare 'Panja Sahib' a holy city and would initiate efforts to sort out all issues related to the welfare of the Sikhs living at the pilgrimage site.

This was stated by the President of Pak-Indo friendship association and legal consulate ministry of interior government of Pakistan Arif Chaudhry, during his meeting with the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here, an official release said here.

Panja Sahib is believed to house a rock having the hand print of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikh religion, and is a popular pilgrimage spot for Sikhs across the world.

Chaudhary also invited Badal to Pakistan to attend a function organized by the Association on this occasion, the schedule of which would be finalized as per his convenience.

Accepting the invitation, Badal said that he had always championed the cause for further strengthening bilateral ties between India and Pakistan through opening Hussainiwal and Fazilka border that would give impetus to trade.

He hoped with the formation of the new government in Pakistan, the bilateral relations would further improve and new business and cultural exchange avenues would be worked out through promoting people to people contact programmes.

The Pakistan official said that the forum would also try to sort out all issues related to the welfare of Sikhs living at Panja Sahib.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-set-to-declare-Panja-Sahib-as-holy-city/articleshow/20590054.cms

[chatanga]

good news, but more effort has to be made on rescuing the vanishing Sikh heritage in Pakistan. That is more important than holy status, status given to Panja Sahib.

[singh135]

Whereas India can't give Amritsar holy status

[JasSinghKhalsa]

Whereas India can't give Amritsar holy status

Before blaming India, let's ask Punjab Govt. and Badal's!

[singh135]

Before blaming India, let's ask Punjab Govt. and Badal's!

yeh well good luck asking Badal..let us know how that turns out.

[Deletedkp]

CHANDIGARH: The Pakistan government has decided to declare 'Panja Sahib' a holy city and would initiate efforts to sort out all issues related to the welfare of the Sikhs living at the pilgrimage site.

This was stated by the President of Pak-Indo friendship association and legal consulate ministry of interior government of Pakistan Arif Chaudhry, during his meeting with the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here, an official release said here.

Panja Sahib is believed to house a rock having the hand print of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikh religion, and is a popular pilgrimage spot for Sikhs across the world.

Chaudhary also invited Badal to Pakistan to attend a function organized by the Association on this occasion, the schedule of which would be finalized as per his convenience.

Accepting the invitation, Badal said that he had always championed the cause for further strengthening bilateral ties between India and Pakistan through opening Hussainiwal and Fazilka border that would give impetus to trade.

He hoped with the formation of the new government in Pakistan, the bilateral relations would further improve and new business and cultural exchange avenues would be worked out through promoting people to people contact programmes.

The Pakistan official said that the forum would also try to sort out all issues related to the welfare of Sikhs living at Panja Sahib.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-set-to-declare-Panja-Sahib-as-holy-city/articleshow/20590054.cms

That's fantastic news if Pakistan are going ahead with this but what are their motives behind it?

How are the Pakistan government going sort out all issues related to the welfare of Sikhs living at Panja Sahib?

[isingh1699]

That's fantastic news if Pakistan are going ahead with this but what are their motives behind it?

How are the Pakistan government going sort out all issues related to the welfare of Sikhs living at Panja Sahib?

Bro the motives of Pakistan government are pretty clear.

They want to dupe innocent Sikhs into wasting there money travelling there so that the local Pakistani businessmen can profit.

We don't have enough money to help our own poor people but when it comes to holidays we are always down with that.

Nothing is gana happen for the welfare of local Sikhs when it was state policy to ethnically cleanse millions of Sikhs out of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Most of the land from Pakistan Gurdwara's has been stolen too but they do this move + make easy profits off Sikhs

[Jonny101]

Bro the motives of Pakistan government are pretty clear.

They want to dupe innocent Sikhs into wasting there money travelling there so that the local Pakistani businessmen can profit.

We don't have enough money to help our own poor people but when it comes to holidays we are always down with that.

Nothing is gana happen for the welfare of local Sikhs when it was state policy to ethnically cleanse millions of Sikhs out of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Most of the land from Pakistan Gurdwara's has been stolen too but they do this move + make easy profits off Sikhs

What ever the motive, still it's better than nothing. Sikhs in Pakistan are still treated better than the Christians and Hindus of Pakistan. Let's learn to appreciate good gestures from the other side rather than trying to annoy the other side so much that we end up losing what little we have left.

[esingh]

Good news. Will other Sikh heritage sites be given similar status?

Anyway, a truly beautiful place. The video starts from 2.15 properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRyRn97taDM

[TandooriSingh]

I don't even know why Sikhs still bother to LIVE in Pakistan.

Pakistan can't even protect Shia Muslims from constant bombings and murders, or Muslim Pakistani politicians from assassinations. They can't even provide their people with electricity or food (not like India is much better...)

How exactly can they ever be expected to protect Sikhs and these holy sites? Declaring them holy sites just makes them a target.

Kidnappings and forced conversions, rapes, beheadings, Taliban trying to force anyone who isn't Muslim to pay the Jizya tax in the areas they control. Gurdwara's being stolen from Sikhs by criminal gangs or the government itself. This is the reality of their lives.

I mean sure it's home, but how much worse can it get before YOU NEED TO FREAKING MOVE HOUSE?

Frankly I think Sikhs just need to cut our losses in Pakistan for now. Go to Punjab where we are the majority, use our skills to fix its many problems and make it the best it can possibly be. The same goes for Afghan Sikhs.