Pakistan govt shocks Sikhs: PM Imran Khan gives Kartarpur Gurudwara control from PSGPC to Muslim body

It is for the first time that Pakistan’s Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee has lost management rights of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, reports Times Now.

The Pakistan government has taken the stance just at a time when Pakistan's Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC) is planning to organise the first anniversary of the Kartarpur Gurudwara opening on Nov 9. 

According to reports, the Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken over the control from PSGPC and even handed it over to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

The ETPB manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikh communities in the Muslim majority nation.

According to an official order dated Nov 3: "Consequent upon the approval of Project Management Unit (PMU) Kartarpur Corridor by ECC of the Cabinet, and ratified by the Cabinet (conveyed by MoRA...dated 23.10.2020), the competent authority has been pleased to establish Project Management Unit (PMU), a self-financing body, for Management and Maintenance of Gurdwara Dardar Sahib Kartarpur (GADSK) under the administrative control of ETPB," reports Times Now.

Shiromani Akali Dal President president Sukhbir Singh Badal reacted to the development and tweeted: "I request PM @narendramodi i to ask @GovtofPakistan to revert mgt of Sri #KartarpurSahib to PSGMC & take back its order to hand it over to a non-Sikh project mgmt unit.Pak shud be told to desist discriminating against Sikhs & violating ‘maryada’ associated with managing shrines."

Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident and tweeted: "A delegation of SGPC and DSGMC met Sh J P Singh Joint Secretary, Govt of India at South Block to express anger & hurt of Sikh community over illegal occupation of Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib. This action of @GovtofPakistan is totally unacceptable to us @DrSJaishankar Ji."