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| November 14, 2005 | Monday | Shawwal 11, 1426 |
No transport arranged for stranded Hindus
LAHORE, Nov 13: The authorities concerned could not make arrangements for the transportation of Hindu pilgrims to Chakwal for the second day on Sunday. Some 28 women and six children were among the 150 pilgrims who arrived here from India but were kept in the immigration centre lawns in Wagah till late on Saturday night before their shifting to a hotel near Laxmi Chowk amid tight security.
“We have been kept here like prisoners. If arrangements are not made for our transportation to Chakwal by tomorrow, we shall be left with no option but to return,” Kundariya Sanatan Dharam Sabha told newsmen at the Abbot Road hotel. The pilgrims have come here to attend a festival at Katas temple in Chakwal.
“The Evacuee Property Trust Board and the Foreign Office have been blaming each other for the mess for the last 48 hours but not taking measures to facilitate us,” said Mr Sabha and added the Pakistan Embassy had issued them visas for seven days with effect from Nov 12.
“It is strange as to why the authorities concerned were not asked to make arrangements for us,” he said.
Shevaji Asraaf, Subhash Mehta, Ram Prakash, Jogindar Pal of Hoshiarpur, Swami Voyak Bhartiji, Rakesh Arrora, Anand Kumar Duggal and Prem Nath Narang also spoke on the occasion.
They thanked the Pakistan government for allowing them to visit their holy places twice a year but regretted the mismanagement.
“We have been told that the some foreign office officials are arranging transport for us. If we are taken to Chakwal on Monday, we’ll stay there till Nov 15. We’ll be staying in Lahore on Nov 16 and return the following day.
The Evacuee Property Trust Board, which usually makes arrangements for the Hindu and Sikh pilgrims arriving here from India or elsewhere, was not aware of their movement.
EPTB sources said: “We are busy in facilitating thousands of Sikh pilgrims who arrived here a couple of days ago to attend the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. The Pakistan embassy did not intimate us before issuing visas to the pilgrims.”
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