Pakistan to print Guru Granth Sahib for Sikh yatras

Pakistan will start printing Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, to prevent its desecration during the Sikh pilgrimage in the country, a top body which looks after minorities’ holy places said on Monday.

“In order to save Guru Granth Sahib from any desecration as Sikh pilgrims carry the holy scripture during yatras and have to undergo different checks at the borders, we have decided to print the religious scripture in Pakistan as a service to the community,” Siddiqul Farooq, chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), told reporters.

India’s Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi’s Gurdwara Management Committee would be engaged in the printing process, he added.

“Ownership has been given to yatris in all matters. I am personally overseeing the arrangements for visiting Hindu and Sikh pilgrims. The number of Hindu and Sikh yatris is increasing every year and the ETPB has decided to register travel promoters in order to facilitate them and attract more tourism,” he said.

Meanwhile, agency reports also hinted at the Pakistan government’s plan to take steps for the export of “Amrat Jal” (holy water from a sacred well in Nankana Sahib — the birth place of Baba Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib, some 80 km from Lahore).

“We have made preparations to export Amrat Jal to India and other countries,” Mr Farooq was quoted as saying by the PTI.

He also informed about the restoration of Be Be Nanki well in Nankana Sahib which has been out of order for 70 years.

Mr Farooq further said that his aim is to build Pakistan’s image as a “minority-loving” country. Mr Farooq said renovations are underway at many minority religious sites.

A residential complex is being built at the Katas Raj Temple, besides the installation of a water treatment plant and other facilities, he said. These facilities, he added, would be ready before the arrival of pilgrims on November 25 this year. Besides, a turbine had been installed at gurdwara Punjah Sahib to generate electricity from water.

On November 14, the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, foundation stone for International Guru Nanak University, Nankana Sahib, would be laid. An advisory committee had also been constituted for the establishment of Gandhara University, Taxila, by the ETPB.