Taken away from PSGPC, Imran Khan govt gives control of Kartarpur Gurudwara to Muslim body

Islamabad, Nov 05: In what comes as a shocking move for the Sikhs, the Imran Khan government has officially taken over full control of the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. It can be seen that this is for the first time that Pakistan's Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee has lost management rights of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

The move comes just ahead of Pakistan's Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee (PSGPC) planning to organise the first anniversary of the Kartarpur Gurudwara opening on November 9.

According to reports, the Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs has taken over the control from PSGPC and handed it over to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, that on behalf of global Sikh community, said he strongly condemns the move. He demanded restoring the right of sewa back to PSGPC.

Following approval of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, the MoRA had set up the PMU Kartapur Sahib, which will be a self-financing body for the management and maintenance of Kartarpur Sahib under the administrative control of ETPB.

It is said that ETPB has appointed as many as nine officials and staff members at the newly set up PMU Kartarpur Sahib without a single Sikh member.

This is reportedly the first gurdwara of Pakistan whose control, management, and maintenance will no more be under the the management of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

Kartarpur marks the most significant phase in the life of Guru Nanak Devji - the founder of Sikhism and first of the ten gurus of the sect.

Located at the west bank of river Ravi, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur village, now part of Pakistan.