TAXILA: Sikh pilgrims and their group leaders from various parts of India have appreciated the people and government of Pakistan for providing better pilgrimage facilities and keeping their places of worship in good condition.

The pilgrims gathered at Gurdwara Punja Sahib at Hassanabdal on Monday to perform various rituals in connection with Baba Guru Nanak`s 549th birth anniversary celebrations, also known as Gurpurub.

Talking to media persons, leaders of all Sikh committees, especially the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Delhi and the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee of India, appreciated the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the government and people of Pakistan for the better f acilities provided to pilgrims and for the better preservation and restoration of Sikh temples in Pakistan.

Leader of Indian pilgrims, SardarGurmeet Singh said Sikh pilgrims bring with them the message of peace, friendship and harmony to Pakistan and receive a very friendly response from the people here.

`Pakistan is the land of Sikh gurus so Sikhs love this land and promote Sikh-Muslim friendship,` he said.

He lauded ETPB Chairman Siddique Farooq for transporting the body of Shanti Kaur, a pilgrim who died at Nankana Sahib, back to India within 24 hours even though it was the weekend and paying the expenses for this from his own pocket.

General Pardhan Dharm Parchar Rawinder Singh said this is his third pilgrimage to Pakistan and that he finds the services, including the langar and housing, improve every time he visits.

JathaleaderSardarBaldev Singh said Sikhs across the world consider Pakistan their second home and that the founder of Sikhism lived here. He said Sikhs visit the country on every occasion despite the security threats.

Sardar Jageet Singh, who is leading a jatha from Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, lauded thegovernment for presenting a separate marriage bill for Sikhs in Punjab. He said Pakistan is the first country to introduce a separate marriage bill for Sikhs.

ETBP Chairman Siddique Farooq said more rooms were built in the gurdwaras for pilgrims.

`We have started an online charity system and now anyone who wants to donate money for the construction of new buildings can do so easily and the process is very transparent,` he said.

Over 2,000 Sikhs came to the Gurdwara Punjab Sahib on Monday via special trains from India.

Pilgrims from other countries have also come to Hassanabdal for the 549th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion amid tight security arrangements.

Banners for the Khalistan Referrendum 2020 could be seen in the Gurdwara Punja Sahib for the first time featuring pictures of Bhindranwale Singh, who was killed in 1984 in the Operation Blue Star carried out in the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Indian Army.