AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has written to the Punjab Government, demanding exemption from foreign leave for government employees who tend to visit Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan via Corridor.
In the letter written by the SGPC to the Secretary of the Personnel Department, Punjab, it has been stated that through the department’s letter 176 dated November 11, 2019, to the officers/employees going to Sri Kartarpur Sahib (Pakistan) on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, exemption from foreign leave was given to them, which has not been extended by the Punjab government.
SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said that Sikhs have great devotion towards Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, which is related to Sri Guru Nanak Dev. He said that on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, due to the long efforts of the Sikh community, Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was opened for the Sikh pilgrims by the governments of India and Pakistan, through which they can go to pay obeisance in the morning and return in the evening on the same day. He said that the government employees have sent letters to the SGPC saying that they are facing great difficulties in going to Sri Kartarpur Sahib. Officials/employees of the Punjab Government who wish to visit Sri Kartarpur Sahib have to go through a long process of foreign leave.
Partap Singh demanded from the Punjab government that all government officials/employees should be permanently exempted from the foreign leave process so that they can conveniently visit Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.