The Baisakhi festival will be celebrated in Punjab from April 10 to 19, with 30,000 Sikh pilgrims from around the world and Pakistan participating, the provincial government announced on Monday.
During the period, 3,000 Sikh pilgrims will arrive from India to celebrate the festival in Pakistan. The Punjab Home Department has announced comprehensive security measures to ensure the safety of thousands of Sikh pilgrims arriving from around the world for the Festival.
The Home Department has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and directed that
Complete security arrangements be ensured at all Gurdwaras and accommodations before the festival. The department has also directed that walk-through gates and CCTV cameras be installed at all Gurdwaras. Three-tier security measures should be implemented at sensitive locations, and searchlights should be installed.
Police and Rangers will work together to manage the movement of Sikh pilgrims. Power supply companies have been instructed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the Gurdwaras, he added. The district administration has been ordered to remove all encroachments around Gurdwaras immediately.
The Punjab Home Department has directed that the police and district administration link their control rooms to the central control room. In this regard, control rooms will be set up in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Attock, and Narowal. Customs and immigration officials will set up necessary counters for timely clearance, while Railway Police will ensure the safety of all pilgrims aboard trains and at railway stations.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) will coordinate with other agencies. Deputy commissioners and district police officers of all relevant districts in Punjab have been directed to ensure strict implementation.
