LAHORE: The Punjab home department on Wednesday reviewed arrangements for the 557th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak. Sikh pilgrims will be staying in Punjab from Nov 22 to Dec 1.
The meeting chaired by Cabinet Committee on Law and Order chairman Khwaja Salman Rafique and Minorities Affairs Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, was briefed that around 30,000 pilgrims from across the world and Pakistan, including 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India, would attend the event.
The pilgrims will visit Nankana Sahib, Faroogabad in Sheikhupura, Hassan Abdal, Kartarpur in Narowal and Lahore.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rafique said the event would serve as a great opportunity to project Pakistan’spositive image. He stressed that all arrangements for transportation, medical facilities and food for pilgrims be made exemplary and completed on time. He said the FIA would set up maximum counters for immigration.
Sardar Arora said it was a matter of Pakistan’s honour and there should be no negligence in arrangements. He directed uninterrupted electricity supply at gurdwaras, arrangement of additional beds in hospitals, and a ban on food items prohibited in Sikhism near gurdwaras. He said the PH A would be responsible for beautification around gurdwaras.
Officers from the offices of Commissioner Lahore, PITB, FIA, Customs, Excise, Rangers, transport, rescue, electricity supply companies, Sui Northern and other departments attendedthemeeting.Commissioners,deputy commissioners, RPOs, DPOs and representatives of security agencies from all divisions and districts joined the meeting via video-link.
RESILIENCE FORCE: Home secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi says the Civil Defence Resilience Corps was an important step towards a safe, capable and responsible Punjab.
He said the Punjab government was aligning civil defence with contemporary requirements. Chairing a meeting on reforms in the Civil Defence Resilience Corps here on Wednesday, Dr Qazi informed that modern equipment worth Rs500 million had been purchased to modernise civil defence.
He said the modern airlift drones had the capability to rescue people stranded in difficult-to-access areas.Staff Reporter