BIRMINGHAM: Acting President Sewa Singh Lalli has urged Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan to revive the plans of her father, the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, to Vaticanise Nankana Sahib.

Mr. Bhutto had announced plans to give Nankana Sahib a status similar to The Vatican, so that the Sikh faith may remain immune from the socio-political expedience of the Indian Hindu communalists.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Lalli has urged her to make a beginning in this direction by involving emigrant Sikhs in the working of the Gurdwara Waga Board, created by the Government of Pakistan to protect and manage the Sikh shrines in that country.

Mr. Lalli has pointed out to MS Bhutto that so-called “pilgrim parties” from India were serving as camouflage for the Indian Intelligence Agents infiltrating Pakistan and has suggested that the genuine pilgrims mostly came from other countries, where they had emigrated because of persecution by the Indian rulers.

He has suggested that representatives of these emigrant Sikhs be involved in the working of the Waqf Board.

Full text of his letter is reproduced below:

SIKH SHRINES IN PAKISTAN

The Sikh nation can have nothing but gratitude and admiration for the work of the Gurdwara Waqf Board in the protection and management of the Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

However, changes in the sociopolitical circumstances in the Sikh homeland since its creation warrant some adjustments in the working of the Board.

Your Excellency is well aware of these changes, so I need not go into their narrative. The impact of these changes has been that neither the Indian government nor the various organizations and agencies working under its influence (like the Amritsar based Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) represent the Sikh interests or viewpoint anymore. Majority of the true beneficiaries of the efforts of the Board, the genuine pilgrims to these shrines, have been forced by the Indian rulers to emigrate from their homeland. (The large pilgrim parties coming from India serve mainly as camouflage for the Indian Intelligence agents). It was because of an understanding of these changes that your illustrious father, the late Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, had announced plans to give Nankana Sahib the status similar to the Vatican, so that the Sikh faith may remain immune from the socio-political expedience of interested parties.

Unfortunately, he did not get the time to implement his plans.

I now request your Excellency to revive the proposal of your late father and take steps to implement it; a beginning in this direction could be made by involving the true representatives of Sikhs in the working of the Board.

I can assure you of full cooperation of this Government in exile and the Sikh organizations active throughout the Western World in your efforts in this direction.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 12, 1990