The Sikh community of India and Pakistan are all set to celebrate Baisakhi popularly known as Vaisakhi festival to be held from 13-16 April at Hassan Abdal and Lahore, respectively, with full religious zeal and enthusiam.
Some 2500 Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from India arrived here in Pakistan to fulfil Besaiki rituals according to their traditional style. For the large farming community of Punjab, Baisakhi Festival marks the time for harvest of rabi crops and they celebrate the day by performing joyful bhangra and gidda dance.
For the Sikh community, Baisakhi Festival has tremendous religious significance as it was on a Baisakhi Day in 1699, that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru laid the foundation of Panth Khalsa-the Order of the Pure Ones.
During the day people of Sikh faith take out a Baisakhi procession under the leadership of Panj piaras. The procession moves through the major localities of the city amidst the rendition of devotional songs by the participating men, women and children.
Dressed in their distinct folk attire, both men and women express their joy by dancing the Bhangra and Gidda and make the festival more colourful.
Meanwhile, the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has demanded of India to initiate fresh probe into the killing of 36 Sikhs at Chattisinghpora in Indian Occupied Kashmir in 2000.
According to KMS, a delegation of the APSCC led by Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina met Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram at Jammu and put forth its demand.
“Central Bureau of Investigation had also alleged that the Chattisinghpora massacre was the handiwork of Indian Army while the apex court (Indian Supreme Court) also pointed towards the involvement of Army in the massacre. We demand fresh probe in a time bound manner in the case,” Jagmohan Singh Raina told media after the meeting. The APSCC also demanded general amnesty to five Sikh youth, blamed for hijacking an Indian plane on August 24, 1984.
FBISE to conduct HSSC exams from April 26: The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) will hold Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Annual Examinations 2012 from April 26.
The board has dispatched roll number slips of the regular candidates to their institutions and those of private candidates at the addresses given by them in their admission forms, said a news release issued here on Wednesday.
Any candidate who has not received roll number slip can contact Controller Examinations (Conduct) at phone number 051-9250606 and fax number 9250607, Assistant Controller Examinations (HSSC Conduct) at 9250641 and Assistant Secretary (One Window Cell) at 9250651.
Kashmiris’ inclusion in dialogue process stressed: The All Parties International Coordination Committee has called for inclusion of genuine Kashmiri leadership in talks between Pakistan and Indian on Kashmir.
At a meeting held in Birmingham, the participants were of the unanimous view that Kashmiris were struggling for securing their right to self-determination, Kashmir Media Service reported. “Any engagement between India and Pakistan for resolving the outstanding dispute of Kashmir is always welcomed, but it cannot be resolved without the participation and consent of people of Jammu and Kashmir,” they said according to a press release issued by the forum at the end of the meeting.
The meeting, which was chaired by Chaudhry Muhammad Azeem, was attended by Executive Director of Kashmir Centre London Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl and many others including Muhammad Riyaz, Muhammad Ghalib, Bostaan Qadri. It was decided that all Parties Kashmir Coordination Committee would support those candidates in upcoming British councillor elections who supported the right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
