Rlys: Didn’t have approval to allow Pak train at Attari

New Delhi, June 15

The Railways today said it had no permission to let a train from Pakistan into Attari to ferry 130 Sikh passengers to Lahore for pilgrimage, a day after the neighbouring country alleged that India refused to let its train cross the border.

Such permissions are usually sought by the foreign ministry of one country from that of the other, officials said. Pakistan had issued visas to around 200 Sikhs to attend Shaheedi Jor Mela, which marks the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, and they were due to arrive in Lahore by a Pakistani train on Friday.

But they were informed at Attari Railway station that there was no permission from the Indian authorities to allow the train coming from Wagah to enter the station so that they could board it.

“We had no permission to receive/run the train at Attari station,” spokesperson for Northern Railway Deepak Kumar said.

On Friday, United Akali Dal general secretary Paramjit Singh Jijani, who was leading the Sikh jatha to Pakistan, claimed that the Indian Railways had refused to give permission to the special train from Pakistan to enter Attari to carry around 130 passengers to Lahore.

He said the Pakistan embassy had already issued seven-day visa to all 130 Sikh members to visit Lahore and some other Sikh shrines in Pakistan, including Kartarpur Sahib.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over its refusal to grant visa to 87 Sikh devotees. — PTI

Bid to sabotage Guru’s anniv celebrations: Sarna   

• New Delhi: The SAD (Delhi), led by Sarna brothers, expressed apprehensions that vested interests were out to sabotage the cross-border celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev’s 550th birth anniversary after 130 Sikh pilgrims bound for Pakistan had to return from the Attari station on Friday.

• Despite valid visas, the Sikhs had no train to board as there was no clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs to pick them up at Attari, party chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said.

• “We have learnt from highly credible sources that a marginalised political party in Punjab allied with the Central government has played a role to derail this round of Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan,” Sarna said. TNS