Sikh pilgrims allege exploitation by ETPB officials in Pak

Amritsar: Sikh pilgrims, who returned from Pakistan in the second jatha on Thursday after celebrating the 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, alleged that they were exploited by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) officials.

The Sikh pilgrims alleged that since the train service between India and Pakistan was suspended, so they had crossed the border via Attari and on reaching Wagah (Pakistan), they were made to pay exorbitant bus fares for going from one place to another. “From Wagah to Nankana Sahib we were charged Rs 1,200. From Nankana Sahib to Punja Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib, we were charged Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,000 respectively. From Nankana Sahib to Lahore and Wagah, we were made to pay Rs 1,200 to the ETPB officials, who had set up a special counter for the purpose,” alleged Amarjit Singh, one of the Sikh pilgrims. He said when some of the pilgrims took up the issue with ETPB officials, they allegedly misbehaved with them.

Another pilgrim Bikramjit Singh alleged that it was for the first time that ETPB officials openly asked pilgrims to pay for bus fares. “We also approached the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSPGC) officials, but they chose to ignore us,” he added. Bikramjit said if the jatha left by train from India, then the pilgrims were charged only Rs 450 and Rs 400 bus fare for travelling to Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Farooqabad and Gurdwara Roori Sahib, Emenabad, respectively, from Nankana Sahib.

Many pilgrims also said about the presence of Sikh hardliners in gurdwaras, who used religious stages to spread hatred against India .However, they hailed the arrangements made for them during the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, ETPB public relations officer Amir Hashmi dismissed the allegations of the Indian pilgrims. “This is not true. The allegations are false,” he said, adding that around 1,200 Indian pilgrims returned on Thursday, while about 2,000 had retuned to India on Wednesday.


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