Indian HC officials stopped from meeting Sikh pilgrims

Islamabad: Indian High Commission officials were on Saturday not allowed to meet the visiting Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from India in Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Sheikhupura by the Pakistani authorities for ‘security reasons.’

Foreign ministry officials here said the Indians High Commission representatives could not meet the Sikhs as they “did not want to meet them.”

“The Indian high commission officials visited Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Sheikhupura but were not allowed due to security reasons keeping in view the hostile environment. They just left,” one official said late in the evening.

He added: “You can say that the Indians also did not press with the meeting as the jatha (group) did not want to meet them.”

Last week too, Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was not allowed to meet the visiting Sikh pilgrims amid protests. Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal however, rejected Indian allegation that the High Commissioner of India was “prevented” from meeting the visiting Sikh pilgrims.

“Indian allegations regarding prevention of meeting of the Indian High Commissioner with Sikh yatrees (refugees) are reprehensible attempts to try to mutate the truth. Indian HC agreed to cancel the visit due to Sikh protests against India for screening of controversial movie in India,” he said.

Mr Faisal said the Secretary of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) had extended an invitation to the High Commissioner of India to attend the main function of Baisakhi and Khalsa Janamdin at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib on April 14.