Pak denies visa to SGPC 'Jathas' going to Nankana sahib shrine for martyrdom anniversary
Amritsar/ New Delhi, May 23 (ANI): Pakistan refused to issue visas to Jatha or a group of Sikh pilgrims to be sent by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to observe the martyrdom anniversary of their fifth preacher Guru Arjan. The calendar row rose as the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) would be observing 'gurupurb' on Friday according to original Nanakshahi calendar while the SGPC follow the old Bikrami calendar which date the martyrdom day on May 22. Pakistan's denial to issue visa has irked group of Sikhs in India. On Friday, chief of SGPC Avtar Singh Makkar expressed his displeasure over the issue. Meanwhile, Siromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa called it a conspiracy by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
